The School of Nursing offers a BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program in
Nurse Anesthesia. The 36-month program requires a minimum of 86 course credits, including
core courses and anesthesia specialty courses. The program integrates research, physiology,
pharmacology, pathophysiology, and anesthesia principles and prepares students for
the national certification examination. The application deadline for the May 2020
class is September 15, 2019. Interviews will be held in late October.
Applications will undergo early review on May 31, 2019. At this point, a limited number
of highly qualified applicants may be offered interviews, with the possibility of
early acceptance.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
Please visit our Admissions page for complete details on admissions requirements. General requirements include:
- Bachelor's degree in nursing
- Current unrestricted RN license
- Minimum 3.0 GPA on last 60 undergraduate hours
- Minimum 3.0 science GPA and minimum of a "B" in science courses (e.g. general chemistry,
microbiology, A&P I and II)
- Minimum one-year full-time critical care experience within the two years prior to
application
- Successful completion of statistics and research courses
- Competitive GRE score
- Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be completed by a current immediate
supervisor
Program Mission
The Nurse Anesthesia Program's mission is to create an academic center of teaching
and learning excellence for the advancement of nurse anesthesia practice. The program
seeks to promote clinical scholarship and life-long learning and aims to support skilled
and ethical service to our communities. Through nurse anesthesia research, education,
and practice, students and faculty will seek to enhance the quality of life for people
of all cultures, economic levels and geographic locations.
CURRICULUM
Reasons to Choose WCU’s Nurse Anesthesia Program
- Small class size (14 to 16 students per class) and low student-to-faculty ratio; open
door policy with faculty
- Competitive tuition costs
- Extensive regional anesthesia experience (Angel Medical Center, Asheville Surgery Center, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, Frye Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital, Haywood Regional Medical Center, McDowell Hospital, Mission Health System, Norton Children's Hospital, Pardee Hospital, Park Ridge Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, St. Lukes Hospital)
- Diverse clinical experience with no competition from other anesthesia learners
- Total anesthetic cases average in excess of 900; unique learning experiences at two
clinical sites where CRNAs are sole anesthesia providers; experience with ultrasound
guidance in placement of nerve blocks
- State of the art high fidelity simulation lab with METI Human Patient Simulators
- Program faculty with extensive scholarship
- 100 percent pass rate for national certification exam
MSN in Nurse Anesthesia 2018 Student Data
2018 Class Profile
Female: 37.5%
Male: 62.5%
Average pre-admission overall GPA: 3.72
Attrition Rate
Attrition rate (2018): 0%
Overall attrition (2009-2018): 11.40%
Board Pass Rate
First-time test takers (2018): 100%
National average (2018): 84.30%
Overall pass rate (2009 - 2018): First-time test takers: 93.07%
Overall pass rate (2009 - 2018): 100%
Employment Rate
Employed within six months of graduation: 100%
Overall employment rate within six months of graduation (2009 - 2018): 100%
estimated cost of attendance
| Full-Time Nurse Anesthesia Graduate Student |
NC Resident Tuition and Fees
|
Out-of-State Resident
Tuition and Fees |
| Each Fall and Spring semesters (6 total) |
$7,374.38* |
$12,577.88* |
| Summer semester per credit charge |
$589.17/credit hour |
$657.17/credit hour |
| Total Tuition and Fees |
$58,975.53* |
$69,994.53** |
| |
|
|
| Other Program-Related Fees |
|
|
| Application Fee |
$65 |
|
| Graduation Fee |
$60 |
|
| Self Evaluation Examination Fee |
$160 |
|
| AANA Associate Membership Fee |
$200 |
|
| Textbooks |
$1,800 |
|
| Stethoscope |
$200 |
|
| Earpiece |
$75 |
|
| Lab Coat |
$40 |
|
| Precordial Stethoscope |
$20 |
|
| PDA |
Optional |
|
| Scrubs |
$40 per set |
|
| Transportation Costs (clinical and conferences) |
$8,000 |
|
| Certification Examination |
$725 |
|
| ACLS, BCLS, PALS |
$225 |
|
| Professional Liability Insurance |
$548 |
|
| Health Insurance |
$4,000 |
|
| Background Check |
$20 |
|
| Medatrax |
$210 |
|
| PC or MAC Laptop |
$1,500 |
|
| Other Program-Related Fees Total |
$12,459.60 |
|
| |
|
|
| Total Estimated Program Costs |
$71,435.13 |
$82,454.13 |
*A tuition surcharge for anesthesia students is included in Total Program Costs above.
Tuition rates may change during the course of the program. Fees include $1,111 for
health insurance which may be waived by verifying coverage.
**The out-of-state total program tuition and fees estimate assumes students will apply
and be eligible for in-state residency status after three consecutive semesters in
the Nurse Anesthesia Program.
A complete medical examination record is required of all students entering the University.
All students are required to have the following current immunizations: diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus
vaccination, measles, mumps, rubella (“MMR”) vaccination, and polio vaccination. Evidence
of the immunizations must be in the student’s records at the time of registration.
In addition to the immunizations required by WCU, the Nurse Anesthesia Program will
require current tuberculin skin testing (“PPD”), annual influenza vaccination and
a hepatitis B series (or statement refusing the series). Some clinical sites may require
proof of immunization. In addition to these expenses, the student should also consider
housing, meals, and loss of income during the educational period. All expenses quoted
on this page are subject to change without notice.
Accreditation
The DNP 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 May 2017, the DNP Program received
initial accredited through 2022 (AANA, 222 S. Prospect Ave., Suite 304, Park Ridge,
IL 60068, 847-692-7050). Click here to visit the COA website.
