Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
Admission
Housing and Meals
Students are responsible for their own housing and meals at assigned clinical sites.
Financial Aid
Both loans and limited scholarships are available for students. Deadlines are early in the semester prior to entry and students are encouraged to contact the graduate financial aid advisor, TCU Box 297012, Fort Worth, TX 76129 as soon as possible. TCU is recognized by the Veterans’ Administration for financial assistance to eligible students. Stipends are currently available during Phase II at limited clinical sites.
A student withdrawing from TCU within a limited time frame is eligible for tuition refund. Deadlines are printed in the University calendar every semester, and can be found in the graduate bulletin at www.catalog.tcu.edu.
Technology
Students are required to have a laptop equipped with a camera. Students should have sufficient computer literacy to manipulate multiple types of files. Students will need a Pentium Class PC with Windows 8.1 or later version, or a MAC with OS X v10.9 or later version. Students are required to have Microsoft Office (with PowerPoint, Word, and Excel, or MAC compatible version), an internet connection (preferably broadband), and a printer.
Time Commitment
The student’s time commitment is approximately 64 hours during a seven-day week. This time commitment does not include study time. One hour of classroom time generates two or more hours of study time. The student should expect a rotating schedule during Phase II.
Transfer Credit
Neither transfer credit hours nor prior work experience are accepted to satisfy degree requirements.
Employment
DNAP students are encouraged to work during the first eight months of the program. Employment is strongly discouraged during the remainder of the program, as students gain more from their academic and clinical experiences without the additional burden of work commitments. If employment is absolutely necessary, the student must notify the director, in writing, of the position and hours, documenting that there is no conflict in time between their job and program responsibilities. Students may not be employed to practice anesthesia. Clinical students may not work the shift prior to clinical time during phase two.
The DNAP is a 36-month program designed for the post baccalaureate RN seeking certification in anesthesia and doctoral education.
Phase I
Phase I consists almost entirely of online courses, classroom and laboratory work. It begins each January and is completed in 20 months. During this period, students earn 52 graduate credit hours. In order to begin Phase II of the program, students must complete Year II (see below) within 12 months. In the event of emergencies, students may be granted a leave of absence.
Phase II
Upon completion of Phase I, students must immediately enter Phase II. This phase of the program begins in late August and lasts approximately 16 months. During this time, the student’s learning is built upon the material covered during the first phase of the program. Phase II is primarily a clinical residency, although the student returns to the classroom on a weekly basis for extensive clinically related study.
Phase II consists of the actual administration of general and regional anesthesia with qualified clinical instructors (anesthesiologists and/or anesthetists). Weekly classroom sessions consist of clinical conferences and seminars addressing with current topics including, but not necessarily limited to, respiratory, cardiovascular, thoracic, neurosurgical, regional, obstetrical, pediatric, and special areas of anesthesia. Various special projects and competency examinations are administered throughout this phase.
Phase II courses are offered in concurrent sequences. Each set of courses must be taken together and successfully completed prior to beginning the next set of courses.
NRAN 81153, NRAN 81123, NRAN 80113, NRAN 81223, NRAN 81243 are online courses.
Clinical Residency
Upon completion of the initial 20 months of the program, students must immediately enter the clinical residency, which begins in late August and lasts approximately 16 months. During this time, learning is built on the material covered previously and comes primarily in a clinical residency although the student also returns to the classroom on a weekly basis for extensive clinically-related study. The clinical residency ends in December. Graduates receive a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice degree and is eligible to write the National Certifying Examination (NCE) for Nurse Anesthetists administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). Graduates who successfully complete this written exam are certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs).
The clinical residency consists of administering general and regional anesthesia alongside a qualified clinical instructor (anesthesiologist or CRNA). Weekly classroom sessions are clinical conferences; journal clubs; and seminars dealing with current topics including, but not limited to, respiratory, cardiovascular, thoracic, neurosurgical, regional, obstetrical, pediatric and special areas of anesthesia. Various projects and competency examinations are required/administered throughout this phase.
Courses during clinical residency are offered in concurrent sequences. Each set, must be taken together and successfully completed prior to beginning the next set.
Phase II ends in December. At the end of Phase II, the graduate is awarded the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice degree and becomes eligible to write the National Certifying Examination for Nurse Anesthetists given by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists. Graduates who successfully complete this written examination are eligible to be Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).