The Department of Anesthesiology

Nurse Anesthesia Concentration

The Program

The University of Tennessee, College of Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia Concentration is a 31-month program, culminating in the awarding of a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a concentration in Nurse Anesthesia to successful candidates. The application deadline is February 1 each year (11 months prior to the beginning of the program of study). Eligible and competitive applicants are selected for personal interview in April (following the February application deadline). Candidates selected for admission, from the pool of applicants that are interviewed in April, begin the program nine months later in January.

Students who successfully meet the clinical and didactic requirements of the program officially complete the program in August, approximately 2.5 years 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.

Notice to Applicants: Transition to the Doctoral Degree

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) requires that all students matriculating into a nurse anesthesia educational program on January 1, 2022 or thereafter be enrolled in a program approved by the COA to award a practice doctoral degree. The program plans to submit its application to the COA for approval to award the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in May 2019. Please note that applicants should be prepared to take prerequisite courses in Summer 2019 to be considered for admission to the DNP program in August 2019. The Nurse Anesthesia Concentration will no longer be offering admission to the MSN or post-master's certificate program after January 2019. Pending approval by the COA, the program plans to enroll its first doctoral cohort of students in August 2019. Further information regarding this transition may be obtained by contacting the program by phone at (865) 305-7762 or via email to Ms. Alisa Canupp, Administrative Support Specialist.

Clinical Sites

The primary clinical site for the program is the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, a 581-bed Acute Care Teaching Hospital and a Level-I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, which 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)
• LeBonheur Children’s Hospital (Memphis, TN)
• Parkwest Medical Center (Knoxville, TN)
• Roane Medical Center (Harriman, TN)

Applicants

Applicants must have the following:

• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from a regionally accredited college/university
• Only applicants with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.3 must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and achieve a competitive score in the verbal and quanitative sections. {A minimum combined score of 297 or greater on the two sections suggested.} NOTE: No other examinations, such as the MAT, GMAT, LSAT, or MCAT, are accepted.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Current ACLS & PALS certification
• A graduate-level course in statistics from a regionally accredited college/university.
  NOTE: This criterion must be completed prior to the start of classes in January.

Please see the 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 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 Unit

Please note: Nursing experience in the ER, ICN, Pediatric ICU, or PAR does not fulfill this requirement.

Experience in other intensive care units

While experience in adult critical care is required, employment time in neonatal and/or pediatric ICU is considered to be very advantageous and may count toward the minimum one-year critical care criterion. Other work history may be considered on a case-by-case basis, but must include experience in units where nurses care for high acuity, critically ill patients on a 1:1 ratio who require invasive monitoring and the administration of vasoactive drugs. For example, while it cannot supersede the critical care (ICU) requirement, Flight Nursing is considered highly complementary experience for applicants to the UT Knoxville Program.

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 - Dr. Julie Bonom, CRNA, DNP, APN
Associate Program Director - Dr. Jim Alberding, CRNA, DNP, APN
Program Faculty & DNP Program Chair - Dr. Terrica Durbin, CRNA, DNP, APN
Clinical Education Coordinator - Ms. Candice Dingus, CRNA, MSN, APN
Administrative Support Specialist - Ms. Alisa Canupp, BA

Program Application

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

• Nurse Anesthesia Concentration Program Information (.pdf)
• Curriculum Schema (31 months) (.pdf)

For questions, or to schedule an appointment with one of the Program Faculty, interested applicants may feel free to contact the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration directly by calling 865-305-7762.

Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Bursar's Office Website. Visit UTKs Financial Aid Office Website for information about grants, scholarships, loans and to obtain a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The cost per credit hour is the standard charge for UTK graduate students. In addition to the tuition charges and standard fees, there is a $575 fee for each nurse anesthesia didactic and clinical course.

Program Statistics and Accreditation

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

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

Accreditation

In 2014, the MSN UT Nurse Anesthesia Concentration program of study received a maximum 10-year accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The next accreditation onsite review is scheduled for April 2024.

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
222 South Prospect Avenue, Suite 304
Park Ridge, IL 60068-4010
Telephone: (847) 692-7050
Fax: (847) 692-7137
www.coacrna.org

The UT College of Nursing MSN program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: (202) 887-6791
Fax: (202) 887-8476
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/AboutCCNE.htm