Aspiring nurse anesthetists can earn a master's degree from Texas Christian University that combines classroom training with clinical and research experience. The accredited program is 28 months in length and concludes with a 16-month residency. Applicants must hold a registered nurse license and need at least one year of adult critical care experience to gain admission into the program. Applicants also must submit test scores, transcripts and three reference letters. Students complete the program in two phases. The first phase consists of classroom and lab work, while the second phase focuses on clinical training. Students can use a life-size mannequin that blinks, breathes and has a pulse in order to practice techniques such as intubation and starting an IV or inserting a catheter. In clinical training, students also learn how to administer anesthesia in various specialty areas, such as neurosurgery, obstetrics and pediatrics.
Texas Christian University School of Nurse Anesthesia
2800 W. Bowie St., Suite 319
Fort Worth, TX 76109
817-257-7887
crna.tcu.edu
Students can complete the master's program in nurse anesthesia at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on a full-time or part-time basis. Applicants need a bachelor's degree in nursing with a minimum 3.0 grade point average, a valid nursing license and at least 18 months of critical care experience. The 63-credit program consists of course work including physiology, pharmacology, nursing practice and principles of nurse anesthesia. Students complete a residency at one of several hospitals, including Carolinas Medical Center and Stanly Memorial Hospital. The program's website notes that 96 percent of its graduates pass the nurse anesthetist certification exam on their first try.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Nursing
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223
704-687-7952
nursing.uncc.edu
The 71-credit master's program in nurse anesthesia at Cal State Fullerton's Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia consists of core course work in nursing practice and research and clinical nurse anesthesia studies. Students subsequently take practicums that expose them to various specialties such as pediatrics, geriatrics and regional anesthesia. Students can complete clinical training requirements at various locations throughout southern California, including the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente Anaheim, San Diego Naval Hospital & Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center. Applicants need a bachelor's degree in nursing with a minimum 3.2 grade point average. They must also have taken statistics and have a year of adult critical care experience. Students in the program receive health and malpractice insurance.
Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia
100 S. Los Robles, Suite 550
Pasadena, CA 91188
626-564-3016
kpsan.org