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The Nurse Anesthesia program is dedicated to providing educational excellence for the graduate student through comprehensive classroom and clinical experiences. Our faculty nurture professional responsibility and commitment to research and other professional activities. St Joseph Mercy Oakland and other hospitals affiliated as clinical sites offer a variety of clinical experiences in addition to the academic curriculum to prepare competent and highly skilled Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). High quality anesthesia care encompasses in-depth knowledge, judgment and problem solving skills, proficient implementation of technical skills, and values and beliefs which positively affect relationships with patients and members of the health care team. To integrate these critical skills, the program incorporates learning activities which facilitate the development of entry-level CRNAs. Students prepare for full participation in anesthesia care as members of a health care team responsible for total patient care.

Accreditation
The program is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

The master's program is targeted to outstanding Registered Nurses with critical care experience who possess a baccalaureate degree. Requirements include:

• 1. Graduation from an accredited (NLNAC or CCNE) nursing program.
• 2. Baccalaureate degree in Nursing or appropriate science degree.
• A bachelor's degree in a natural science is accepted. Examples are Chemistry, Biology, Physics. If you have another degree, your past academic background is individually considered for predictors of success in our Program, such as a strong science background and good performance.
• 3. Minimum of one year recent experience (within last 5 years) as a professional registered nurse in a critical care area in which the applicant has had the opportunity to develop as an independent decision maker, demonstrate psychomotor skills and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. Direct patient contact is required.
• The requirement for critical care is that you have experience as a Registered Nurse in a critical care area, with emphasis placed on invasive hemodynamic monitoring, ventilatory care and pharmacologic management. The preferred areas (with the greatest preference first) are:
• 1. SICU (Surgical Intensive Care)
• 2. MICU (Medical Intensive Care)
• 3. CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care)
• 4. PICU/NICU (Pediatric or Neonatal Intensive Care)
• 5. Applicants have also been accepted whose experience is primarily in the Emergency Room, provided they can demonstrate familiarity with invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.

• 4. Professional/academic competency attested by three letters of recommendation.
• 5. Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) with scores available before the deadline for applications (October 31). (Please see the further discussion below.)
• 6. An undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above.
• 7. Undergraduate coursework: Transcripts should reflect one undergraduate course taken within the last ten years, with a grade of B or above, in each of the following areas:

• -Inorganic chemistry
• -Organic (or Bio-) chemistry
• -Anatomy and Physiology
• -Research methods
• The research methods content taken as part of the BSN meets this requirement.

• 8. Submission of a professional autobiography delineating personal goals of graduate study.
• 9. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• 10. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• 11. Current licensure as a professional registered nurse in Michigan or ability to obtain the same.
• Once accepted, enrollment is contingent on successfully passing a health and drug screening as well as a criminal background check.

Admissions process
Please note that applications are reviewed continuously as they are received (twelve months a year). The program accepts applications online. Approximately 25-30 students are enrolled each year for the program. Accepted applicants begin coursework in September. Orientation is held for the first week of the Program. Clinical experience begins during the second semester.

When applying, keep in mind:

• 1. Contact the program for clarification of any questions.
• 2. Apply 2-3 months before the October 31 deadline ideally, as this allows time for transcripts and recommendations to arrive.
• 3. Ensure that supporting documentation is sent promptly. This includes three letters of reference, transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended since high school, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
• 4. We review all applications received in November.
• 5. We send letters to all in the second week of December (approximately), indicating whether we will be scheduling an interview for you or not.
• 6. The top candidates meeting or exceeding admission requirements will be granted an interview (normally held in late January, but this may vary from year to year). The Admissions Committee goal is to notify all applicants of their decision within two weeks after the interviews. Applicants are either accepted, accepted as alternates, or their application is denied.
• 7. After they receive notice from the Admissions Committee, accepted applicants confirm their intention to enroll in writing, and by submitting a deposit ($1,000, which is non-refundable and applied to the first term tuition).
• 8. If there are unfilled positions available after fall interviews, qualified candidates whose applications are received after October may be scheduled during a second round of interviews in the spring, space permitting.
• NOTE: The Program welcomes applications or inquiries twelve months a year. The January series of interviews are held each year. A second series of interviews may be held in the spring, if there is a need.

Cognitive Domain

• 1. Performs and records an accurate preoperative physical and psychological assessment and identifies any abnormal pathology which may have implications for anesthesia or surgery.
• 2. Develops a comprehensive, safe anesthetic care plan for all patients.
• 3. Demonstrates theoretical and practical knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, indications, contraindications and techniques for all types of anesthesia.
• 4. Independently identifies additional resources within the anesthesia community to update and incorporate innovative techniques into current clinical practice.
• 5. Demonstrates the ability to critically assess and apply research concepts.

Psychomotor Domain

• 1. Performs all technical skills with dexterity and competency in all learning environments (ie. code calls).
• 2. Administers physiologically sound anesthetics, utilizing knowledge of general and selected regional techniques within the confines of the operative, diagnostic and therapeutic situations and the pathological conditions of the patient.
• 3. Recognizes signs and symptoms exhibited by patients and synthesizes knowledge of the behavioral and physiologic sciences in making judgments and treating intraoperative and postoperative problems.
• 4. Evaluates the post anesthetic course of the patient, recognizes any complications arising from anesthetic management and recommends courses of action aimed at treating any complications.

Affective Domain

• 1. Professionally collaborates with all members of the HCT enhancing the anesthetic and surgical process.
• 2. Recognizes personal and professional strengths and limitations.
• 3. Demonstrates ability to perform effectively under stress in difficult situations.
• 4. Understand and functions within appropriate legal requirements as a licensed professional, accepting responsibility and accountability for own practice.
• 5. Develops and participates in programs which promote optimum anesthesia care within the community.

The curriculum is typically taken in either 27 months ("full time") or 39 months ("extended" or "part time". Both are discussed below on this page.

Full-Time (27 month) Track
The listing includes course number, title, and credit hours. These credit hours are based on 4 month terms. For example, BIO538 meets for 4 hours of lecture per week, over a four month period (4 x 16 = 64 contact hours total). Please note that only classroom experiences follow this format. Clinical Internships or research classes may require more time commitment than indicated by their credit weight. ANE530 Physics and Biomedical Instrumentation is offered online.

Total credits = 63

Students may elect to perform a research project. In this case they will choose ANE699 Master's Project for one credit in each of Term 5, 6, and 7. Students who do not complete the project will take one three credit elective before graduating. Coursework is subject to the approval of the Director, and could include topical areas such as health care law, finance, ethics, or management.

Extended (39 month) Track
The 63 credits (same number as the 27 month track) are taken in 39 months. We refer to this curriculum as an extended curriculum (rather than "part time") because the time commitment for the students in this track, in their last 15-18 months, is identical to the time commitment of students in the full-time track.

• 1. In the first 12 months of the 39 month track, the student takes 15 credits and has no clinical component. It is realistic to remain employed (part time or perhaps even full time) during this period.
• 2. In months 13-24, the student has clinical and classroom commitments (with the exception of the credits already taken) identical to the full time track. So the time commitment is less than the full time track. How many hours you can continue to be employed depends on your energy level, family responsibilities, and how well you are doing in the classroom and in the clinical area.
• 3. In months 25-39, there is no difference in time commitment between the two tracks and it is suggested that students will do better without any outside work responsibilities in view of the demands of the clinical area and the scholarly project.

The choice of full or part time track is generally left up to the individual student, who declares their intent at the time enrollment is offered. You are strongly encouraged to speak directly to the program Director or Assistant Director if you are interested in this track.

The listing includes course number, title, and credit hours. These credit hours are based on 4 month terms. For example, BIO538 meets for 4 hours of lecture per week, over a four month period (4 x 16 = 64 contact hours total). Please note that only classroom experiences follow this format. Clinical Internships or research classes may require more time commitment than indicated by their credit weight.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Total 63 credits

Students may elect to perform a research project. In this case they will chooseANE 699 Master's Project for one credit in each of Term 8, 9, and 10. Students who do not complete the project will take one three credit elective before graduating. Coursework is subject to the approval of the Director, and could include topical areas such as health care law, finance, ethics, or management.