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Programs

DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program

Overview

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia program, with a dual focus in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP), is an intensive, full-time doctoral program designed for registered nurses who seek advanced preparation in both nurse anesthesia and acute care management of adult and older adult populations. This integrated program prepares graduates to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care in complex clinical environments such as operating rooms, intensive care units, emergency departments, and specialty surgical services.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Integrate advanced nursing knowledge and specialty competencies in a defined area of nursing practice to deliver holistic, person-centered, equitable care across diverse populations.
  2. Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from a variety of sources to lead a systematic investigation of an identified practice issue.
  3. Lead team-based interprofessional care with intentional collaboration and effective communication to foster a climate of mutual learning, respect, and shared values.
  4. Integrate information and communication technologies, as well as informatics processes to make data-driven decisions that improve outcomes and optimize healthcare delivery.
  5. Drive innovation as a systems thinker, change agent, and advocate to influence health policy, improve organizational performance, and advance health equity.
  6. Advance the nursing profession through professional identity formation, ethical practice, disciplinary knowledge development, and clinical scholarship.

Graduates will be prepared to sit for the NBCRNA certification exam and assume leadership roles in academic health centers, community hospitals, ambulatory care centers, and rural practice settings.

Program Goal

Prepare diverse clinical scholars and practice leaders who transform healthcare delivery, optimize health outcomes for diverse populations, and generate practice knowledge to advance the discipline of nursing.

Information about faculty and research can be found on the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program website.

AdmissionsLink to section

ApplyingLink to section

The School of Nursing uses an online self-managed application process. Applicants are required to complete all portions of the online application and submit the following documents:

  • Official transcripts from all schools attended
  • Current resume or CV
  • Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification
  • Short-answer responses to a series of prompts within the application
  • Essay response to one prompt within the application
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Clinical shadowing time with CRNA recorded on Clinical Shadowing Form
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores for applicants who are non-native English speakers (Minimum TOEFL iBT score of 88, or IELTS Academic band score of 7.0)
  • Active, unencumbered Registered Nurse license in New York State

After the application is reviewed, the candidate may be contacted to schedule an interview with a School of Nursing faculty member. Program faculty conduct a holistic review of each application.

Program Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the DNP Nurse Anesthesia program:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of nursing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 from any graduate-level work
  • Minimum of one year of full-time work experience, or its part-time equivalent, as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit setting, such as surgical ICU, medical ICU, cardiothoracic or cardiovascular ICU, trauma or burn ICU, neurosurgical ICU, or pediatric ICU. (Emergency room, flight nursing, PACU, and neonatal intensive care unit experiences, while valuable, will not be considered as critical care experience.)
  • Current Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification or its pediatric equivalent
  • Minimum of eight hours of clinical shadowing experience with a CRNA
  • English language proficiency (Minimum TOEFL iBT score of 88, or IELTS Academic band score of 7.0 for applicants who are non-native English speakers)
  • Active, unencumbered Registered Nurse license in New York State

AcademicsLink to section

RequirementsLink to section

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia program is a 103-credit, 36-month curriculum that blends scientific depth with hands-on expertise in anesthesia delivery. Through advanced study in pharmacology, physiology, and anesthesia principles, students develop the clinical judgment required for complex decision-making. High-fidelity simulation strengthens crisis response, interprofessional collaboration, and management of challenging cases, while extensive clinical practica provide progressive immersion across specialties such as obstetric, pediatric, cardiothoracic, and rural or critical access anesthesia. The program culminates in a doctoral scholarly project focused on advancing evidence-based anesthesia practice and improving patient outcomes.

Graduate Course TitlesLink to section

  • NPG 404: Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
  • NUR 467: Population Health in Theory and Practice
  • NUR 509: Clinical Data Management for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
  • NUR 564: Quality and Safety for Advanced Nursing Practice
  • NPG 406: Advanced Pharmacology
  • NPG 410: Advanced Health Assessment
  • NUR 575: Health Policy Development and Political Change
  • NPG 412: Diagnostic and Clinical Reasoning
  • NPG 414: Mental Health and Wellness in Acute and Primary Care
  • NPG 421: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I
  • NUR 572: Appraisal and Application of Evidence in Healthcare
  • NPG 422: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner II
  • NUR 574: Project Management for Systems Innovation
  • NPG 423: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner III
  • NUR 576: DNP Practicum I – Literature Synthesis
  • NUR 577: DNP Practicum II – Project Design
  • NUR 578: DNP Practicum III - Implementation & Evaluation
  • NAN 500: Introduction to the APRN and CRNA Role
  • NAN 501: Basic Principles of Anesthesia
  • NAN 502: Advanced Principles of Anesthesia I
  • NAN 503: Advanced Principles of Anesthesia
  • NAN 504: Advanced Principles of Anesthesia III
  • NAN 505: Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology for CRNA
  • NAN 506: Chemistry and Physics of Anesthesia
  • NAN 507: Advanced Pharmacology for CRNA
  • NAN 508: Advanced Crisis Resource Management I
  • NAN 509: Advanced Crisis Resource Management II
  • NAN 510: Teams in Training and Patient Safety
  • NAN 511: Professional Aspects of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
  • NAN 512: Nurse Anesthesia Seminar
  • NAN 520: Clinical Practicum I
  • NAN 521: Clinical Practicum II
  • NAN 522: Clinical Practicum III
  • NAN 523: Clinical Practicum IV
  • NAN 524: Clinical Practicum V
  • NAN 525: Clinical Practicum VI