Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)
The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) program within the ISU School of Nursing, prepares exemplary nurse leaders who integrate education, service, and scholarship, through practice and research, to enhance the quality of life for rural and diverse populations. The program meets all requirements for students to take the national board exam required to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA). The rigorous program emphasizes real-world clinical practice. The program culminates in the writing and presentation of a Capstone project designed to demonstrate program outcomes through the improvement of practice. The program is full-time, year-round and completed over three years as required by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA) Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia program will be taught in 9 semesters / 3 years. This program will primarily be in person. There will be an online component for some
courses. The clinical component includes a minimum number of clinical hours = 2,000. Clinical hours are primarily time spent in the actual administration of anesthesia in the operating room. Simulation will be utilized in this program to reinforce the concepts taught in all of the principles of anesthesia courses as well as prior to performing skills on an actual patient. The DNAP degree requires completion of a capstone project. Completion of this program will provide the education needed to sit for national certification as a CRNA
Admissions Requirements
The student must apply to and meet all requirements for admission to the Graduate School. Applications must be received by January 15. In addition to the general requirements of the Graduate School, the following are required:
- Current and unencumbered license as a registered professional nurse and / or an APRN in the United States. RN licensure in the state of Idaho is required prior to final acceptance into the program. Other state RN licensure may be needed for future potential out-of-state clinical specialty sites (3rd year of program).
- Applicants must have at least 1 year of full-time experience, or its part-time equivalent, as a registered nurse in a critical care setting prior to application to this program.
- The following types of critical care experience is preferred: all types of adult medical and or surgical ICU’s.
- The following types of critical care experience would be considered: ER, Neonatal ICU and Pediatric ICU, Trauma, Flight Nurse.
- The applicant must have earned the following certifications by the application deadline: BLS, ACLS, PALS are required and CCRN would be highly recommended.
- Submission of official college transcripts from each institution attended. Submit directly to Idaho State University. A baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing or an appropriate major is required.
- Submission of professional vitae or resume.
- Submission of a professional essay (2-3 pages) describing applicants’ interest in nurse anesthesia, shadow experiences (highly encouraged). Thoughts on independent practice / full scope anesthesia practice. What factors will enable you to be successful?
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANES 7720 | Advanced Pathologic Aspects of Disease | 4 |
| PHAR 6645 | Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nurses | 3 |
| ANES 7710 | Foundations in Anesthesia | 3 |
| NURS 6639 | Teaching and Learning Strategies in Nursing Education | 3 |
| ANES 7721 | Advanced Physiology & Anatomy for Anesthesia I | 4 |
| ANES 7711 | Anesthesia Principles I | 4 |
| ANES 7711L | Advanced Simulation for Anesthesia Principles I | 1 |
| ANES 7731 | Advanced Pharmacology for Anesthesia I | 3 |
| NURS 6611 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| ANES 6611L | Advanced Health Assessment Lab | 1 |
| ANES 7712 | Anesthesia Principles II | 4 |
| ANES 7712L | Advanced Simulation for Anesthesia Principles II | 1 |
| ANES 7732 | Advanced Pharmacology for Anesthesia II | 3 |
| ANES 7722 | Advanced Physiology & Anatomy for Anesthesia II | 4 |
| ANES 7723 | Applied Anatomy Skills & Simulation Lab | 3 |
| ANES 7740 | Intro to Clinical Anesthesia | 1 |
| ANES 7741 | Clinical Practicum for Anesthesia Practice I | 3 |
| NURS 7735 | Statistical Analysis in Evidence Based Practice | 3 |
| ANES 7713 | Anesthesia Principles III | 4 |
| ANES 7742 | Clinical Practicum for Anesthesia Practice II | 4 |
| NURS 6610 | Advanced Evidence Application | 3 |
| ANES 7750 | Human Factors, Patient Safety, Ethics & Diversity in Anesthesia | 3 |
| ANES 7771 | Scholarly Project Design | 2 |
| ANES 7743 | Clinical Practicum for Anesthesia Practice III | 4 |
| ANES 7714 | Crisis & Trauma Management, Advanced Concepts in Anesthesia | 3 |
| ANES 7744 | Clinical Practicum for Anesthesia Practice IV | 4 |
| NURS 8826 | Approaches to Scholarly Writing | 2 |
| ANES 7772 | Scholarly Project Development | 3 |
| ANES 7745 | Clinical Practicum for Anesthesia Practice V | 4 |
| ANES 7773 | Scholarly Project Implementation | 3 |
| ANES 7781 | Anesthesia Board Prep I | 2 |
| ANES 7746 | Clinical Practicum for Anesthesia Practice VI | 4 |
| ANES 7760 | Business, Leadership & Health Policy for Anesthesia | 3 |
| ANES 7782 | Anesthesia Board Prep II | 2 |
| Total Credits | 101 | |
Capstone
The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program requires students to complete a Capstone, done over three semesters. Students enroll in Capstone I, II, and III with structured and mentored guidance on the identification of a problem related to anesthesia practice, policy, or education. Each Capstone course guides the student with the phases of the project: problem identification, review of the literature and evidence, identification of solution and design for implementation and evaluation. Students are required to prepare a professional paper and complete a professional presentation of the completed project.
Student Learning Outcome
- Apply the complex principles of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, chemistry, and physics related to the art and science of nurse anesthesia.
- Safely and skillfully administer a range of anesthetics for all patient populations and physiological conditions, in urban and rural settings.
- Synthesize preoperative information from historical, physical, and testing data to develop a safe and evidence-based anesthetic plan.
- Utilize current evidence as a basis for clinical decision-making and to improve nurse anesthesia practices.
- Utilize ultrasound technology for regional anesthesia administration, invasive lines, and advanced patient assessment.
- Recognize and appropriately respond to anesthesia complications that occur during the perioperative and post-operative settings.
- Create a safe environment for patients and staff by minimizing the influence of human factors as well as inherent biases and by increasing situational awareness in all settings.
- Apply research and writing skills directed towards developing a solution to an anesthesia problem (Capstone Project).
- Demonstrate leadership abilities by completing a Capstone Project intended to improve anesthesia practice.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills to communicate with patients, healthcare colleagues, and families.