Post-BSN to DNP - Nurse Anesthesia

This is a newly proposed program and UT Health SA is awaiting approval from The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The Nurse Anesthesia Program is also currently seeking accreditation from the Council of Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA). 

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program is a 108.5 semester credit hour program, designed as a three-year, full-time program, with an anticipated inaugural matriculating class in August 2024.

BSN to DNP-Nurse Anesthesia admission requirements:

1. BSN degree from a CCNE, ACEN, or NLNAC accredited program.
2. Current licensure as an RN in Texas or hold a compact license with multi-state
    privileges that includes Texas.
3. GPA from Last 60 Hours of College Coursework: 3.0.
4. Three professional references.
5. TOEFL minimum requirements: Paper examination: 550 or International English
    Language Testing System (IELTS) score minimum: 6.5.
6. A completed basic statistics course.
7. A completed Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry course with a grade of 'B' or higher
    taken within the last 5 years.
8. Minimum one year work experience in critical care as a registered nurse, two years
    preferred.
9. BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification

Applicants submit required items through NursingCAS, a centralized application system.
Admission staff review and the top applicants are invited to interview and submit a
writing sample.

The DNP-Nurse Anesthesia program requires full-time attendance. Invited applicants
will meet with program faculty to discuss time and financial commitments. Per COA
requirements, all students must attend full-time.

Degree Requirements and Graduation

For the Post-BSN to DNP CRNA degree, completion of 108.5 semester credit hours  an overall minimum GPA of 3.0, no more than one C in a required course, and no incomplete grades are required to be eligible for graduation.

The program is designed to be completed in 36 months of full-time study. A clinical preceptorship is required. 

Clinical/Practicum Hours

The Doctor of Nursing Practice requires that all students have 1,000 clinical/practicum hours post bachelors. DNP clinical/practicum hour requirements for nurses in the BSN to DNP program are 360 hours. The CRNA clinical/practicum hour requirements for nurses in the BSN to DNP program is 2160 hours.

DNP Project

A hallmark of the practice doctorate is the DNP project demonstrating the student’s in-depth knowledge of one's area of specialty practice and the synthesis of the student’s coursework and practice application. The project is guided and evaluated by a primary faculty and secondary faculty (optional). The project results in a scholarly paper and presentation.

The focus of all DNP projects is on knowledge translation at multiple system levels. During the program, students work with faculty to begin exploring concepts related to their area of interest while evaluating sources of evidence related to the problem/need. The project will be defined through the DNP Seminar course. Based upon an assessment and evaluation of the evidence, the plan and design will be developed for a DNP project initiative

1.  Integrate nursing science, ethics, and biophysical, psychosocial, and analytical knowledge to provide safe, individualized, culturally competent anesthesia care across the lifespan. (DNP program outcomes 1, 3, 5, 8)
2.  Collaborate with interprofessional teams to enhance anesthesia care delivery and patient outcomes. (DNP program outcomes 6)
3.  Evaluate and utilize evidence to implement, design and deliver anesthesia practice improvements. (DNP program outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5, 8)
4. Advocate for anesthesia practices that promote social justice and equity. (DNP program outcome 5)
5. Lead interprofessional teams to develop, evaluate and utilize evidence-based guidelines that affects anesthesia healthcare processes, quality, safety and cost. (DNP program outcomes 3, 5, 7)