Frequently Asked Questions

Application and Admission:

How many students do you admit each year?
The Nurse Anesthetist Program admits 10 students a year.

Do you interview everyone who applies to the program?
The number of applicants interviewed is determined by the number of positions available. Approximately 4 times the number of available slots will be invited to interview.

How long after the application deadline does the interview process begin?
Selected applicants are notified approximately four to six weeks after the application deadline and scheduled for interview within the following month.

Is there a waiting list for admission?
The Nurse Anesthetist Program will not maintain a waiting list of prospective applicants. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply in following years.

Do you accept scores from any other placement exam besides the GRE (such as MAT, etc.)?
The Graduate Record Examination is required for application to the Nurse Anesthesia Program. Applicants whose first language is not English must achieve a minimum score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Graduates of foreign nursing programs must also have transcripts and application materials evaluated by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.

Which graduate or undergraduate courses might be helpful to me as a nurse anesthesia student?
Undergraduate or graduate courses in statistics and health assessment are prerequisites for admission. Courses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, physics, organic chemistry, and biochemistry are suggested, but not required. You may wish to consider additional education in those areas of the sciences in which you feel you are weak.

Do I have to obtain my own liability insurance for clinical rotations?
Liability insurance with specific coverage for nurse anesthesia students must be purchased before beginning the clinical phase of the program. Information about policy options available through AANA Insurance Services will be provided after enrollment.

Financial Aid:

Is financial assistance available?
Successful applicants will be contacted with information about federal nurse traineeships. Second year students may be eligible for federal nurse anesthesia traineeships as well as scholarships offered through American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Foundation. Complete information about costs may be found here.

Education and Experience Prerequisites:

Must I have an undergraduate degree in nursing?
Yes. Although some nurse anesthesia programs allow the RN applicant to have a degree in another field, the Program requires the student to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Can I apply for admission if I am enrolled in a degree completion program and scheduled to finish my BSN after the application deadline?
Yes, a registered nurse who is enrolled in a BSN completion program may be admitted contingent upon completion of the BSN and all other admission criteria.

What if I already have a graduate degree in nursing?
Most nurses who already possess a master’s or doctoral degree have the option of earning either an additional master’s degree or a post master’s certificate. In either case, the number of required courses is reduced but the overall program length does not change. More specific information can be obtained by contacting the Program.

What is the average nursing experience, in years, for accepted applicants?
Applicants are required to have at least one year of acute care experience as a registered nurse when entering the program. Most individuals accepted in Nurse Anesthetist Programs have at least 2-4 years of experience.

Which type of clinical experience is preferred?
Applicants are encouraged to practice in clinical environments that require dynamic decision making while caring for patients with continuous ECG monitoring, invasive lines (such as pulmonary artery, central venous, and arterial catheters), vasoactive infusions, and ventilatory support. Most applicants obtain these experiences in surgical, cardiothoracic, trauma, or medical intensive care units; however, we are interested in the quality of nursing experience, not a unit’s name.

Does it matter if all my clinical experience is with neonatal or pediatric patients?
The majority of students enter the program with adult critical care nursing experience; however, this is not mandatory. Students having only pediatric nursing experience should insure they have some background providing care for adult patients, as the majority of their education will be in this venue.

Program Format:

Is your program offered by distance learning?
No.

Can I attend your program on a part time basis?
The Nurse Anesthetist Program currently admits only full time students.

Student Housing:

Is housing available for graduate students?
No; students must make their own arrangements for housing.

Miscellaneous:

How many hours per week can I work while enrolled in the program?
Outside employment is discouraged because of the intense nature of the program.

"Tips" for a Successful Application:

Many prospective students ask how they can make their applications more competitive. Here are some tips which might assist you in that process. It is important to remember that the use of any or all of these techniques in no way guarantees your entrance into the Nurse Anesthetist Program.

• Application Letter: In addition to answering the questions at the top of the autobiographical statement, your letter should tell us who you are. Your letter plays a role in the selection of applicants for interview. A good letter tells us why we should select you for an interview and while it is not a requirement that the letter be typed, bear in mind we ordinarily read 70-80 such letters. If we cannot read it, we cannot evaluate your potential for success.
• Resume: Your resume should be both clear and succinct, and should tell us what your work and professional life looks like. Avoid jargon (“CVICU” could be anything, the “Post-operative Open Heart Surgery Unit” only describes one thing.
• Recommendations: Please do NOT ask your relatives and friends for recommendations. We know they think you are wonderful! Your recommendations SHOULD include your current supervisor, a nurse anesthetist with whom you have spent time, and if possible, one of your academic instructors familiar with your work and study habits. Remember that we are part of the School of Nursing, so recommendations from Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA’s), Nursing Supervisors and Nursing Instructors are important.
• Grades: We look at your transcript carefully, on a grade-by-grade basis. As such, a 3.0 GPA from a student who had an “A” in “Appreciation of Television” and a “C” in “Physiology” will be looked at in a different light than one who has the opposite grades. Your science and mathematics courses are carefully scrutinized.
• Spend Time with a CRNA: One of your recommendations must be from a nurse anesthetist. The best way to get a good recommendation is to spend time in the operating room with a CRNA. This is a program that will require an amazing (and sometimes seemingly overwhelming) commitment of time and energy. The information you will receive during your three semesters of didactic instruction is quite specialized. Therefore, it is important that you understand what CRNA’s do in the course of a normal day. Eight hours is probably the minimum amount of time one should spend, and more is probably better (after hour 40, you have probably learned all you can learn). Your goal in this pursuit is NOT to learn how to do anesthesia, it is to see the nature of the role of nurse anesthetists in the pre-operative, peri-operative and post-operative period.
• Critical Care Experience: What you do in the ICU is more important than the type of ICU. Your practice should include ECG interpretation, management of invasive monitors, the use and titration of vasoactive substances, and ventilator management.
• GRE Scores: There is no minimum acceptable GRE score. The overall “average” GRE score is approximately 500 on the verbal, 500 on the quantitative, and 3 on the analytical portion. A low-end GRE (900 on combined verbal and quantitative) is NOT something which will keep you out of the program. Don’t let a GRE of less than 1000 dissuade you from applying; if you aren’t certain if your score is competitive, please call and ask us.

Ask a Faculty Member:

Please email your question(s) to Richard Haas, PhD, CRNA, or call at 717.815.6864