The Department of Anesthesiology

Nurse Anesthesia Concentration

Notice to Applicants

• NEW: Application deadline is September 1
• Application opens early June
• Program starts SUMMER semester (late May/early June) of the following year

Due to the high volume of requests for individual meetings, the program is shifting to offer group informational sessions.  Attendance is offered in-person or online via Zoom. Please join us for the next scheduled program information session:

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 5pm Eastern Time
In-Person:
UT Medical Center, Knoxville - Morrison’s Conference Room
Find directions/navigation here: https://utmck-prod-kiosk-web.goziohealth.com/campus-directory

Online:
https://tennesseehipaa.zoom.us/j/85685268312?pwd=crd1VE8wSyKvNzT8T0MTUL9DACfX4b.1
Meeting ID: 856 8526 8312
Passcode: 414181

The Program

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia Concentration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Nursing is a 38-month program, awarding the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree with a concentration in Nurse Anesthesia to successful candidates. The application deadline is September 1st each year. Eligible and competitive applicants are selected for personal interview in January/February following the September application deadline. Candidates selected for admission begin the program in early June.

Students who successfully meet program requirements officially complete the program in August, 38 months after they begin their studies and are then eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination (NCE). Typically graduates of the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration are employed less than 6 months after graduation.

Clinical Sites

The primary clinical site for the program is the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in Knoxville, a 640-bed academic medical center, Magnet recognized and Level-I adult and pediatric trauma center. UTMC offers a wide range of clinical experiences to student registered nurse anesthetists. Additionally, the following clinical facilities are utilized for curricular enrichment and supplementation:

• Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center (Knoxville, TN)
• Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System (Morristown, TN)
• LeBonheur Children’s Hospital (Memphis, TN)
• Parkwest Medical Center (Knoxville, TN)
• Sweetwater Hospital Association (Sweetwater, TN)
• Blount Memorial Hospital (Maryville, TN)

  Please note: the program continues to seek out new clinical sites which may involve travel and lodging outside of the Knoxville area. Students are responsible for all travel and other expenses related to clinical rotations.

  Applicants

  Applicants must have the following:

  • A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from all nursing degrees is required. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above is recommended.
  • Only applicants with a cumulative GPA from all nursing degrees of less than 3.3 must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A combined score of 300 on the verbal and quantitative sections and an analytical writing score of 3.5 or above is recommended
  • Current ACLS & PALS certification

  Please see the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Concentration Program Information document for further details.

  ICU Experience

  To be considered for admission, applicants must have completed at least one year of current, full-time adult critical care nursing experience prior to the start of the program. Applicants must be working in adult ICU at the time application is submitted.

  Applicants must be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills and feel comfortable working with ventilators, numerous vasoactive drugs, such as nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, dopamine and amiodarone. In addition, applicants must possess a thorough understanding of EKG interpretation and be able to apply hemodynamic values to patient care.

  Some examples of adult critical care areas that meet this requirement include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Surgical ICU
  • Trauma ICU
  • Cardiovascular ICU
  • Medical ICU
  • Coronary Care

  Please note: Nursing experience in the Emergency Department, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, Operating Room, Pediatric ICU, or Intermediate Care Nursery does not fulfill this requirement. 

  CCRN Certification

  The Program does not require applicants to have CCRN certification prior to application, however admission will be contingent upon obtaining the CCRN prior to the program start date. Please note that while other certifications, such as Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), or other specialty certification, are advantageous, they do not supersede the CCRN requirement.

  Faculty and Staff

  Program Director/Clinical Professor - Julie Bonom, CRNA, DNP, APRN
  Associate Program Director/Clinical Associate Professor - Jim Alberding, CRNA, DNP, APRN
  Clinical Assistant Professor - Jennifer Patrick, CRNA, DNP, APRN
  Medical Administrative Assistant - Ms. Alisa Vess, MBA, BA

  Program Application

  Program information and application instructions are available for downloading by clicking on the following links:

  • DNP Nurse Anesthesia Concentration Program Information (.pdf)
  • BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program of Study (Summer 2024) (.pdf)

  For questions, please contact the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration directly by calling (865) 305-7762 or email Ms. Alisa Vess, NAC Medical Administrative Assistant, at avess@utmck.edu

  Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid

  Information on tuition, fees and estimated total cost of attendance is available online at https://onestop.utk.edu/tuition-detail/. The cost per credit hour is listed under Online Program for Graduate Students.In addition to the tuition charges and fees, there is a differential tuition charge of $250 per NURS course credit hour. For information about grants, scholarships, loans and to obtain a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), please visit https://onestop.utk.edu/financial-aid/.

  Program Statistics and Accreditation

  The following table indicates the NBCRNA Certification Pass Rates for graduates of the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration

  	2022	2023	2024
  	DNP	DNP	DNP
  First Attempt	100%	100%	100%
  Subsequent Attempts	N/A	N/A	N/A

  The Nurse Anesthesia Concentration's student attrition rates are as follows:

  	DNP	DNP	DNP
  Enrolled	17	17	17
  Attrition	2	1	1
  Percentage	12%	6%	6%

  
  

  	DNP	DNP	DNP
  Graduate Employment Rates within Six Months of Graduation	100%	100%	100%

  Accreditation

  In 2024, the UT Nurse Anesthesia Concentration was granted the maximum continued accreditation of 10 years by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The next accreditation onsite review will be scheduled in spring 2034. The program received COA approval in June 2019 to award the DNP degree for entry into practice.

   

  Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
  10275 West Higgins Road, Suite 906
  Rosemont , IL 60018-5603
  Telephone: (224) 275-9130
  https://www.coacrna.org/
  
  
  The UT College of Nursing DNP program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

  Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
  Washington, DC 20001
  Telephone: (202) 887-6791
  Fax: (202) 887-8476
  https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE
  
  

  Since 1897, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been continuously accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees.

  Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
  1866 Southern Lane
  Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
  Telephone: (404) 679-4500
  https://www.sacscoc.org/