Western Carolina University

The Nurse Anesthesia Program is a 28-month graduate course of study in the School of Nursing, accredited by The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. The program awards a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Western Carolina University and prepares for the national certification examination.

The 28-month program requires a  minimum of 66 course credits, including core courses and anesthesia specialty courses. The program integrates research, physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and anesthesia principles.

Clinical innovations of the program include:

• A human patient simulator lab
• Clinical rotations:
  • Blue Ridge Regional Hospital
  • Frye Regional Medical Center
    • Unifour Pain Treatment Center
  • MedWest Harris
  • MedWest Haywood
  • Mission Health System
    
    • Asheville Anesthesia Associates
  • Park Ridge Hospital
  • St. Lukes Hospital
• Extensive regional anesthesia experiences

Highly qualified applicants may be reviewed and offered early acceptance prior to the application deadline. Classes are typically filled following the application deadline. Pending seat availability, highly qualified applicants may be reviewed and offered admission beyond the application deadline.

For the Spring 2013 application cycle, the deadline to apply is June 15, 2012. Beginning with the Spring 2014 admission cycle, the application deadline will be May 15 of the prior year.

Accreditation Information
The Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA).  The Council on Accreditation is a specialized accrediting body recognized by both the United States Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). In October, 2007, the program was awarded initial accreditation through October, 2012. In October, 2012, the Nurse Anesthesia Program received a 10 year continuation of accreditation through October 2022. (AANA, 222 S. Prospect Ave., Suite 304, Park Ridge, IL 60068,  847-692-7050). Click here to visit the COA website.

Learn more about admission to the program and our faculty and staff, or contact us directly with your questions. You can also click here to view our latest Nurse Anesthesia Program brochure.