Nurse Anesthesia

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  Accreditation

  The University of Detroit Mercy Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The program's next accreditation review by the COA is scheduled for October 2025.

  COA Address:  222 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL, 60068. Phone (847) 655-1160.
  Email: accreditation@coacrna.org​​ — Website: https://www.coacrna.org

•  

  Admissions Requirements

  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 (ACEN or CCNE) nursing program.
  2. Baccalaureate degree in nursing.
  3. Minimum of one year recent experience (within the last five years) as a professional registered nurse in a critical care area in the United States, 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: SICU (Surgical Intensive Care), MICU (Medical Intensive Care), CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care), PICU/NICU (Pediatric or Neonatal Intensive Care). 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 submitted directly to us by the recommender.
     • Have the online recommendations filled out by an academic reference (e.g. a professor in your B.S.N. program), your current immediate supervisor (charge nurse or nurse manager) in critical care, and a colleague who is a CRNA, physician or RN, and is familiar with your critical care skills.
     • For Nurse Managers and Colleague recommendations: We are interested in an assessment of the applicant's critical care nursing skills, personal characteristics (maturity and readiness for a difficult program of study), and degree of professional development as a Registered Nurse.
     • For Nursing School Academic references: We are interested in whether the applicant is recommended for further study as a graduate student.
  5. A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above.
  6. Undergraduate coursework: Transcripts should reflect one undergraduate course taken within the 10 years prior to the semester of intended enrollment, with a grade of B or above, in each of the following topical areas: inorganic chemistry, organic (or bio-) chemistry, anatomy and physiology.
  7. Submission of a professional autobiography delineating personal goals of graduate study.
  8. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
  9. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
  10. Current unencumbered licensure as a professional registered nurse in Michigan, or ability to obtain the same.
  11. Applicants must demonstrate they can meet the technical standards published in our handbook, and complete the application process as directed here including filling out and signing the Statement of Accuracy form.

  Note:

  • We do not accept ACLS certification obtained online.
  • We do not require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
  • We expect that applicants will shadow a CRNA during the application process (prior to interview) to learn more about the specialty and help them determine if nurse anesthesia suits them.

  Once accepted, enrollment is contingent on successfully passing a health and drug screening as well as a criminal background check, and remaining in critical care until enrollment. Policy and forms for criminal background check and drug screening are on the website.
•  

  Outcome Criteria

  Attainment of these final objectives demonstrates that graduates have acquired knowledge, skills and competencies in the areas of patient safety, perianesthetic management, critical thinking, communication, and the professional role.

  Patient safety is demonstrated by the ability of the graduate to:

  • Be vigilant in the delivery of patient care
  • Protect patients from iatrogenic complications
  • Participate in the positioning of patients to prevent injury
  • Conduct a comprehensive and appropriate equipment check
  • Utilize standard precautions and appropriate infection control measures

  Individualized Perianesthetic Management is demonstrated by the ability of the graduate to:

  • Provide care throughout the perianesthetic continuum
  • Use a variety of current anesthesia techniques, agents, adjunctive drugs, and equipment while providing anesthesia
  • Administer general anesthesia to patients of all ages and physical conditions for a variety of surgical and medically-related procedures
  • Provide anesthesia services to all patients, including trauma and emergency cases
  • Administer and manage a variety of regional anesthetics
  • Function as a resource-person for airway and ventilatory management of patients
  • Possess current advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) recognition
  • Possess current pediatric advanced life support (PALS) recognition
  • Deliver culturally-competent perianesthetic care throughout the anesthesia experience

  Critical thinking is demonstrated by the graduate's ability to:

  • Apply theory to practice in decision-making and problem solving
  • Provide nurse anesthesia care based on sound principles and research evidence
  • Perform a preanesthetic assessment and formulate an anesthesia care plan for patients to whom they are assigned to administer anesthesia
  • Identify and take appropriate action when confronted with anesthetic equipment-related malfunctions
  • Interpret and utilize data obtained from noninvasive and invasive monitoring modalities
  • Calculate, initiate, and manage fluid and blood component therapy
  • Recognize and appropriately respond to anesthetic complications that occur during the perianesthetic period
  • Pass the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists' (CCNA) certification examination in accordance with CCNA policies and procedures

  Communication Skills are demonstrated by the graduate's ability to:

  • Effectively communicate with all individuals influencing patient care
  • Utilize appropriate verbal, nonverbal, and written communication in the delivery of perianesthetic care

  Professional role is demonstrated by the graduate's ability to:

  • Participate in activities that improve anesthesia care
  • Function within appropriate legal requirements as a registered professional nurse accepting responsibility and accountability for his or her practice
  • Interact on a professional level with integrity
  • Teach others
  • Participate in continuing education activities to acquire new knowledge and improve his or her practice
•  

  Curriculum

  This curriculum leads to the degree Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia. It is typically taken in 27 months ("full-time"). We will not admit students to the Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia after Fall 2019.

  Full-Time (27 month) Track

  The listing includes course number, title, and credit hours. These credit hours are based on four-month terms. For example, BIO 5380 meets for four 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.

  Term 1 Fall

  • BIO 5380 Graduate Physiology I (4 credits)
  • ANE 5600 Pharmacology I (4 credits)
  • BIO 5420/5440 Gross Anatomy/Gross Anatomical Dissection (Lecture/lab) (4 credits)
  • ANE 5490 Principles of Nurse Anesthesia I (3 credits)
  • ANE 5491 Preoperative Physical Assessment (1 credits)

  16 credits total

  Term 2 Winter

  • BIO 5390 Graduate Physiology II (4 credits)
  • ANE 5610 Pharmacology II (4 credits)
  • ANE 5500 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia I (4 credits)
  • ANE 6010 Clinical Internship I (1 credits)
  • ANE 5700 Regional Anesthesia (2 credits)

  15 credits total

  Term 3 Summer

  • ANE 5510 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia II (4 credits)
  • ANE 5300 Physics and Biomedical Measurement (3 credits)
  • PYC 5030 Statistics (3 credits)
  • ANE 6020 Clinical Internship II (1 credits)

  11 credits. PYC 5030 Statistics may be taken prior to enrollment, or in any term before Term 5.

  Term 4 Fall

  • ANE 5520 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia III (2 credits)
  • HLH 5500 Research Methods in Health Care (3 credits)
  • ANE 5100 Professional Aspects/Nurse Anesthesia (2 credits)
  • ANE 6030 Clinical Internship III (1 credits)

  8 credits

  Term 5 Winter

  • ANE 6990 Masters Project (1 credits)
  • * or Elective; see below (3 credits)
  • ANE 6100 Anesthesiology Seminar I (1 credits)
  • ANE 6040 Clinical Internship IV (1 credits)

  5 credits total.

  Students may elect to perform a research project. In this case they will choose ANE 6990 Master's Project for one credit in each of Terms 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.

  Term 6 Summer

  • ANE 6110 Pathophysiology Review (1 credits)
  • ANE 6050 Clinical Internship V (1 credits)

  2 credits total.

  Term 7 Fall

  • ANE 6120 Anesthesiology Seminar III (1 credits)
  • ANE 6060 Clinical Internship VI (1 credits)

  2 credits total.

  Total credits = 59

  Students may elect to perform a research project. In this case they will choose ANE 6990 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.

•  

  Program Policy Manual

  The Student-Faculty Handbook contains additional policies that apply to Nurse Anesthesia students.

•  

  Cost of Attendance

  Cost of attendance
•  

  Program Contact Information

  Mike Dosch CRNA Phd, Department Chair

  McNichols Campus, CHP Building Room 336
  (313) 993-2454 voice, doschmi@udmercy.edu
  Website

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•  

  Accreditation

  The University of Detroit Mercy Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The program's next accreditation review by the COA is scheduled for October 2025.

  COA Address:  222 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL, 60068. Phone (847) 655-1160. Email accreditation@coacrna.org​​Web https://www.coacrna.org/

  The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at University of Detroit Mercy is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20001. Contact the CCNE at 202-887-6791.

•  

  Admissions Requirements

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

  1. Graduation from an accredited (ACEN or CCNE) nursing program.
  2. Baccalaureate degree in Nursing.
  3. Minimum of one year recent experience (within the last five years) as a professional registered nurse in a critical care area in the United States, 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: SICU (Surgical Intensive Care), MICU (Medical Intensive Care), CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care), PICU/NICU (Pediatric or Neonatal Intensive Care). 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 submitted directly to us by the recommender.
     • Have the online recommendations filled out by an academic reference (e.g. a professor in your BSN program), your current immediate supervisor (charge nurse or nurse manager) in critical care, and a colleague who is a CRNA, physician or RN, and is familiar with your critical care skills.
     • For Nurse Managers and Colleague recommendations: We are interested in an assessment of the applicant's critical care nursing skills, personal characteristics (maturity and readiness for a difficult program of study), and degree of professional development as a Registered Nurse.
     • For Nursing School Academic references: We are interested in whether the applicant is recommended for further study as a graduate student.
  5. A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above.
  6. Undergraduate coursework: Transcripts should reflect one undergraduate course taken within the 10 years prior to the semester of intended enrollment, with a grade of B or above, in each of the following topical areas: inorganic chemistry, organic (or bio-) chemistry, anatomy and physiology.
  7. Submission of a professional autobiography delineating personal goals of graduate study.
  8. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
  9. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
  10. Current unencumbered licensure as a professional registered nurse in Michigan, or ability to obtain the same.
  11. Applicants must demonstrate they can meet the technical standards published in our handbook, and complete the application process as directed here including filling out and signing the Statement of Accuracy form.

  Note:

  • We do not accept ACLS certification obtained online.
  • We do not require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
  • We expect that applicants will shadow a CRNA during the application process (prior to interview) to learn more about the specialty and help them determine if nurse anesthesia suits them.
  • Once accepted, enrollment is contingent on successfully passing a health and drug screening as well as a criminal background check, and remaining in critical care until enrollment. Policy and forms for criminal background check and drug screening are on the web site.
•  

  Terminal Objectives

  Attainment of these terminal objectives demonstrates that graduates have acquired knowledge, skills and competencies in the areas of patient safety, perianesthetic management, critical thinking, communication, leadership, and the professional role.

  Patient Safety — The graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Be vigilant in the delivery of patient care.
  2. Refrain from engaging in extraneous activities that abandon or minimize vigilance while providing direct patient care (e.g., texting, reading, emailing, etc.).
  3. Conduct a comprehensive equipment check.
  4. Protect patients from iatrogenic complications.

   

  Perianesthesia — The graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Provide individualized care throughout the perianesthesia continuum.
  2. Deliver culturally competent perianesthesia care
  3. Provide anesthesia services to all patients across the lifespan 
  4. Perform a comprehensive history and physical assessment 
  5. Administer general anesthesia to patients with a variety of physical conditions.
  6. Administer general anesthesia for a variety of surgical and medically related procedures.
  7. Administer and manage a variety of regional anesthetics.
  8. Maintain current certification in ACLS and PALS.

   

  Critical Thinking — The graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Apply knowledge to practice in decision making and problem solving.
  2. Provide nurse anesthesia services based on evidence-based principles.
  3. Perform a preanesthetic assessment before providing anesthesia services.
  4. Assume responsibility and accountability for diagnosis.
  5. Formulate an anesthesia plan of care before providing anesthesia services.
  6. Identify and take appropriate action when confronted with anesthetic equipment-related malfunctions.
  7. Interpret and utilize data obtained from noninvasive and invasive monitoring modalities.
  8. Calculate, initiate, and manage fluid and blood component therapy.
  9. Recognize, evaluate, and manage the physiological responses coincident to the provision of anesthesia services.
  10. Recognize and appropriately manage complications that occur during the provision of anesthesia services.
  11. Use science-based theories and concepts to analyze new practice approaches.
  12. Pass the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCRNA.

   

  Communication — The graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients and their families.
  2. Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective interprofessional exchange of information and collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
  3. Respect the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of interprofessional care.
  4. Maintain comprehensive, timely, accurate, and legible healthcare records.
  5. Transfer the responsibility for care of the patient to other qualified providers in a manner that assures continuity of care and patient safety.
  6. Teach others.

  Leadership — The graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Integrate critical and reflective thinking in his or her leadership approach.
  2. Provide leadership that facilitates intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration.

  Professional Role — The graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Adhere to the Code of Ethics for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
  2. Interact on a professional level with integrity.
  3. Apply ethically sound decision-making processes.
  4. Function within legal and regulatory requirements.
  5. Accept responsibility and accountability for his or her practice.
  6. Provide anesthesia services to patients in a cost-effective manner.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of wellness and substance use disorder in the anesthesia profession through completion of content in wellness and substance use disorder
  8. Inform the public of the role and practice of the CRNA.
  9. Evaluate how public policy making strategies impact the financing and delivery of healthcare.
  10. Advocate for health policy change to improve patient care.
  11. Advocate for health policy change to advance the specialty of nurse anesthesia.
  12. Analyze strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
  13. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of populations.
  14. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of clinical settings.
  15. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of systems.
  16. Disseminate scholarly work.
  17. Use information systems/technology to support and improve patient care.
  18. Use information systems/technology to support and improve healthcare systems.
  19. Analyze business practices encountered in nurse anesthesia delivery settings.
•  

  Curriculum: Doctor of Nursing Practice—Nurse Anesthesia

  The 87 credits are taken in 36 months. Doctoral Core Courses are all those taken in Year 1 (except BIO 7420/7440), NUR 7300, & the Doctoral Project courses (ANE 7800, 7900, 7920).

  1. In the first 12 months of the curriculum, the student takes 9-10 credits per term and has no clinical component. It may be realistic for some students to remain employed (part-time or perhaps more) during this period. 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.
  2. In year 2 & 3, the student has more intense clinical and classroom commitment. The time commitment is 60 or more hours per week year-round. It is suggested that students will do better without any outside work responsibilities in view of the demands of the clinical area, board preparation, and the elective (or scholarly project).

  Term 1 Fall 10 credits

  • NUR 5030 Analytic Methods for Clinical Practice (3 credits)
  • NUR 7500 Evidence-Based Practice: Theory, Design and Methods (3)
  • BIO 7420 Gross Anatomy (2)
  • BIO 7440 Gross Anatomical Dissection (2)

  Term 2 Winter 9 credits

  • NUR 5160 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
  • NUR 7450 Analytics for Evidence-Based Practice (3)
  • NUR 7000 Advanced Theory and Knowledge Development for Clinical Nursing Practice (3)

  Term 3 Summer 9 credits

  • NUR 7400 Information Management and Decision Support (3)
  • HLH 7100 Health Care Policy, Economics and the Law in Clinical Practice (3)
  • ETH 7010 Ethical Issues in Advance Nursing Practice (3)

  Term 4 Fall 13 credits

  • ANE 7490 General Principles of Nurse Anesthesia (4)
  • ANE 7600 Pharmacology of Nurse Anesthesia I (4)
  • BIO 5380 Graduate Physiology I (4)
  • ANE 7010 Clinical Internship I (1)

  Term 5 Winter 15 credits

  • ANE 7500 Anesthesia for Specific Procedures and Special Populations I (4)
  • ANE 7610 Pharmacology of Nurse Anesthesia II (4)
  • BIO 5390 Graduate Physiology II (4)
  • ANE 7700 Principles of Regional Anesthesia (2)
  • ANE 7020 Clinical Internship II (1)

  Term 6 Summer  11 credits

  • ANE 7510 Anesthesia for Specific Procedures and Special Populations II (4)
  • ANE 7350 Quality, Safety and Other Professional Aspects in Anesthesia Care (3)
  • NUR 7300 Transformational Leadership and Innovation in Advanced Clinical Practice (3)
  • ANE 7030 Clinical Internship III (1)

  Term 7 Fall  8 credits

  • ANE 7520 Anesthesia for Specific Procedures and Special Populations III (2)
  • ANE 7100 Physics & Biomedical Measurement (2)
  • ANE 7800 DNP Project Proposal  (3)
  • ANE 7040 Clinical Internship 4 (1)

  Term 8 Winter 6 credits

  • ANE 7900 DNP Practicum and Project Implementation (3)
  • ANE 7200 Epidemiology and Population Health in Nurse Anesthesia Practice (2)
  • ANE 7050 Clinical Internship V (1)

  Term 9 Summer  6 credits

  • ANE 7920 DNP Practicum and Project Implementation II (3)
  • ANE 7210 Epidemiology and Population Health in Nurse Anesthesia Practice Seminar (1)
  • ANE 7110 Pathophysiology Review (1)
  • ANE 7060 Clinical Internship VI (1)

  Total 87 credits

•  

  Program Policy Manual

  The Student-Faculty Handbook contains additional policies which apply to Nurse Anesthesia students.

•  

  Cost of Attendance

  Cost of attendance
•  

  Program Contact Information

  Mike Dosch CRNA Phd, Department Chair

  McNichols Campus, CHP Building Room 336
  313-993-2454 voice, doschmi@udmercy.edu
  Website