Post Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice, with a Specialization in Anesthesiology
Rebecca Lee, DNP, CRNA, APRN, Program Director
Program Overview
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) with a specialization in Anesthesiology Program is a practice-focused doctoral program for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (C.R.N.A.s) holding a master’s degree or higher. This program focuses specifically on advanced practice nursing with a specialization in anesthesiology and consists of web-mediated courses that provide opportunities for synchronous and asynchronous learning. Blended distance learning allows CRNAs from various states to participate in web-mediated coursework. The curriculum builds upon the scientific, management, and leadership knowledge and skills gained during the master’s degree in nurse anesthesia education as well as the professional practice experience gained as a C.R.N.A. It prepares nurse anesthetists to acquire advanced clinical, organizational, financial, and leadership knowledge to design and implement programs of care delivery which significantly impact health care outcomes. The program is lockstep and part-time. A total of thirty-six credits (36) are required to complete the degree plan. The Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 222 South Prospect Avenue, Suite 304, Park Ridge, IL 60068, (847) 692‑7050. accreditation@coacrna.org
Goals
At the completion of the Program, graduates will be able to:
- Provide healthcare services to increasingly complex patients by integrating multiple knowledge bases and methods to develop comprehensive high-level advanced practice nursing care;
- Serve as leaders who will improve the quality and safety of care, patient outcomes, and health policies that impact the health of society; and
- Critically appraise and apply evidence-based methods in clinical practice.
Student Learning Outcomes
The specific objectives for the specialization correlate with the eight (8) domains required to be addressed by the COA:
- Biological Systems, Homeostasis, and Pathogenesis
- Professional Role
- Healthcare Improvement and Risk Reduction
- Practice Inquiry
- Technology and Informatics
- Public and Social Policy
- Health Systems Management
- Ethics
Upon completion of the specialization program, the graduate shall have acquired knowledge, skills, and competence in these domains, as evidenced by the ability to*:
- Synthesize, integrate, and apply knowledge from the arts and sciences with clinical expertise to promote best practices in the delivery of anesthesia and healthcare services to diverse populations (Biological Systems; Healthcare Improvement/Risk Reduction; Practice Inquiry; Ethics);
- Translate theory and research evidence to reduce risk, promote safety, and enhance quality in clinical practice (Healthcare Improvement/Risk Reduction; Practice Inquiry);
- Assume leadership roles in clinical practice, health policy, clinical education and health care systems organizations (Professional Role; Health Systems Management);
- Employ effective communication and interdisciplinary collaboration skills to solve complex problems, facilitate change, and promote improved quality of care in organizations (Professional Role; Healthcare Improvement/Risk Reduction);
- Advocate for changes in healthcare policy formation, financing, regulation, and practice to remediate health disparities locally and globally (Healthcare Improvement/Risk Reduction; Public and Social Policy; Ethics);
- Demonstrate information and data literacy to manage complex health care decisions (Biological Systems; Technology/Informatics; Health Systems Management);
- Engage in scholarship and dissemination of new findings through professional activities and life-long learning opportunities (Professional Role; Practice Inquiry);
- Demonstrate mastery of knowledge and technical skills relevant to an area of advanced anesthesia practice (Biological Systems; Healthcare Improvement/Risk Reduction; Practice Inquiry); and
- Recognize, analyze, and debate resolutions to the bioethical, social, and legal dilemmas inherent in healthcare practice, research, and policy (Healthcare Improvement/Risk Reduction; Practice Inquiry; Public and Social Policy; Ethics).
*These objectives are also in accordance with The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice Nursing established by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2006).
Admission Requirements
Application requirements reflect the criteria for admission set forth by COA and Barry University. Candidates are selected for admission based on high promise for program completion and academic success in graduate education. These include:
- A D.N.P. with a specialization in Anesthesiology application form and applicable fee;
- Graduation from a nurse anesthesia education program accredited by the COA;
- A master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited or internationally recognized university;
- A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in graduate study. GPAs are not rounded;
- Verification of C.R.N.A. certification and recertification;
- Verification of current R.N./A.P.R.N. license;
- Two letters of recommendation—one from your current supervisor addressing competence in an area of practice and one from an educator addressing potential for academic success;
- Copy of your CV/resume;
- Essays:
- A clear statement of your goals and expectations for entering the D.N.P. program,
- Your vision as to how practice-focused doctoral education will impact your practice as a C.R.N.A.,
- How your previous life and/or work experience will contribute to your success as a D.N.P. student, and
- A discussion of the scholarly project that you wish to develop;
- Access to a computer with high-speed internet connection, which meets the minimum specifications set by the Anesthesiology Program for your entering semester; upon entry to the program, it is expected that you will have prerequisite computer skills in Microsoft Office, use of email, and the ability to use the internet; and
- An interview (by invitation) with the Anesthesiology Admissions Committee in person or via a web-based meeting.
Application Process
A complete application, including all documents and applicable fees, must be received by the Health Sciences Admissions Office by May 1st for admission to the Program at the start of the fall semester. Applications received after May 1st will be considered on a space available basis. Only those candidates with a complete application package on file, which includes all required documentation as noted above, will be considered for admission.
Curriculum
Curricular content is reflective of both CCNE and COA standards. The D.N.P. with a specialization in Anesthesiology Program is a sequential locked-step curriculum beginning in the fall semester of each year. The program consists of 36 to 37 credit-hours delivered over a two-year, part-time course of study. Coursework is completed via a hybrid platform of on-campus and off-campus sessions. On-campus sessions will be conducted three days each year during the fall semester at the Hollywood, Florida site, located at 421 N. 21st Avenue, Hollywood, FL 33020. Off-campus sessions will be conducted via on-line classes using distance learning technology as well as synchronous web-conferences.
This program requires a special program fee.
Progression Requirements
- Doctoral students must obtain a grade of at least B in all courses and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale to progress in the D.N.P. Program;
- Any student who receives a C in a course will be required to repeat the course;
- Any student who receives an F in a course will be dismissed from the D.N.P. Program;
- Students may not begin a new semester with a grade of ‘Incomplete’ in a course from the previous semester without the permission of the Program Director;
- A student must successfully complete a semester to progress to the next semester;
- A student enrolled in ANE-750 Anesthesiology Scholarly Project who does not complete the seminar requirements by the end of Semester VI will get an ‘IP’ grade; the student will be required to enroll in a one-credit course each additional semester until completion of the D.N.P. Scholarly Project; and
- The Academic Dishonesty Policy described in the Policies and Procedures section of this catalog is strictly adhered to.
Graduation Requirements
Satisfactory completion of all courses and successful defense of the capstone project is necessary for the student to graduate. In addition, a student must have completed all course work with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0-point scale. All requirements for the post-master’s D.N.P. must be met within a five year time period from matriculation.
Transfer Credits
Acceptance of transfer credits is at the discretion of the program director. A maximum of six graduate credits may be transferred from a regionally accredited or internationally recognized institution of higher education at the time of matriculation. Only courses with a final grade of B or higher will be considered for transfer. Transfer credits must meet the criteria established by Barry University.
Grading Policy
The grading policy for students in the D.N.P. Program with a Specialization in Anesthesiology will be as follows:
| A |
90%–100% |
| B |
80%–89% |
| C |
70%–79% |
| F |
0%–69% |
| I |
Incomplete |
| IP |
In Progress |
Receipt of a failing grade is cause for dismissal from the Program.
An ‘I’ grade is not automatically given for absence from class or incomplete work. An ‘I’ grade will need to be requested in writing by the student to the course instructor when course assignments have not been satisfactorily completed. Students who are granted an ‘I’ grade in a course must complete all the course requirements by the end of the next semester. An ‘I’ grade becomes an F if assignments are not completed.
Doctor of Nursing Practice w/ a Specialization in Anesthesiology (36-37 credits)
Semester I – Fall (8 credits)
Semester II – Spring (6 credits)
Semester III – Summer (7 credits)
| NUR-733 | TRANSLATIONAL RES FOR DNP | 4 |
| NUR-734 | LEGAL/ETHIC ISS ADV NUR PRACT | 3 |
Semester IV – Fall (6 credits)
Semester V – Spring (8 credits)
Note: WHS-602 The 21st Century Educator is a three credit elective course that may be taken in lieu of NURA-678 Advanced Health Assessment and Differential Diagnosis. Students who have taken an equivalent advanced health assessment course may choose to register for an elective. Permission to take this or any other elective must be pre-approved by the Program Director.
Semester VI – Summer (1-2 credits)
| ANE-750 | ANESTHESIOLOGY SCHOLARLY PROJ | 1 to 2 |