Nurse Anesthesia Major

View a selection of program reviews from DNP students who graduated within the last two years.

Students will complete a scholarly DNP project that reflects the synthesis and application of knowledge gained throughout the curriculum.

• BSN to DNP Curriculum (onsite) - (PDF of BSN to DNP Curriculum)
• MSN to DNP Curriculum (online) The online option is only available to applicants with a master’s degree in same focus.

The Pitt Nurse Anesthesia Program is a national leader in simulation education, developing a course on Anesthesia Crisis Management for CRNAs as early as 1994.

Program Accreditation: Forty-nine states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands require completion of an accredited nurse anesthetist program for practice. (This number includes those states that imply requiring completion of an accredited program by requiring nurse anesthetists to be certified. Michigan has no reference to completion of an accredited program in their regulations).

Certification: Graduates from accredited Nurse Anesthesia Programs are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination administered by the National Board for Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).  National certification is conferred by the NBCRNA and this allows the graduate of an accredited program to use the title Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA).  Forty-nine US states and the District of Columbia require certification for practice while Michigan and Puerto Rico do not (although the title nurse anesthetist cannot be used in Michigan without national certification). 

Licensure and Recognition:  In most states, Nurse Anesthetists hold licensure as registered nurses and/or as an ‘advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)”.  There are several mechanisms for recognition of Nurse Anesthetists including through Statute, Nurse Practice Acts, State Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations and the Department of Health (New York State). 
For the most up to date information, please to the AANA State-Government Affairs website.