Nurse Anesthesia, DNP
Program Overview
Our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Nurse Anesthesia program 
is a full-time, rigorous, and comprehensive 36-month doctoral program that prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.
We give students the opportunity to integrate classroom content with direct application of advanced techniques in providing anesthesia care to patients of all ages.
You'll learn clinical skills in a variety of environments, each of which offers experiences in
the anesthetic management of specialized patient populations.
Requirements
The doctorate in nurse anesthesia is an 83-credit hour program for registered nurses with a bachelor of science in nursing degree. It can be completed in 36 months of continuous full-time study.
Students are accepted for the summer semester to the full-time program and graduate three years later, in May. The first-semester summer courses are all online; the remainder of the courses are on campus.
During the first year:
- Students learn basic principles and the skills required of nurse anesthetists.
In the second year:
- Students continue with course work to advance their knowledge.
- They begin simulation training in our state-of-the-art three-room operating suite.
- They complete clinical rotations in hospitals and surgical centers.
- Students spend the entire year in the clinical setting, where they refine their anesthesia skills and prepare to enter the field.
- In addition to coursework and clinical work, they also complete an evidence-based scholarly project.
Clinical Opportunities
We have affiliations with numerous clinical agencies in Northeastern Pennsylvania and in southern and upstate New York. At many of our clinical sites, we are the only anesthesia provider students.
Distance to clinical sites averages between 5 - 200 miles from the University of Scranton campus. Students are responsible for their own transportation and overnight accommodations.
Currently the program has fully executed legally bound contracts with clinical sites such as: Bassett Medical Center, Garnet Health Medical Center, Geisinger Community Medical Center, Geisinger Medical Center, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, Geisinger Wyoming Valley, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) Hospital (Allentown), Moses Taylor Hospital, Mountain Laurel Surgery Center, LVHN Pocono, Regional Hospital of Scranton/Surgery Center, Robert Packer Hospital/Guthrie Clinic, LVHN Schuylkill, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, UPMC Williamsport, Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital/Surgery Center, Wilson Regional Medical Center.
Our excellent clinical opportunities are illustrated by the Class of 2024, who averaged 869 anesthetic cases and gained over 2,000 hours of clinical experience.
Employment Opportunities
Nurse anesthetists work in a variety of settings, including:
- Hospital surgical suites
- Trauma centers
- Outpatient surgery centers
- Pain clinics
- Delivery rooms
- Dentists', ophthalmologists' and plastic surgeons' offices
Nationally, nurse anesthetists earned an average wage of $189,000 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nurse Anesthesia Program Statistics
|
Class |
Program Average Certification Pass Rate for First Time Takers |
National Average Certification Pass Rate for First Time Takers |
Program Certification Pass Rate for All Takers |
Graduate Employment Rate |
Attrition Rate% |
|
Class of 2024 |
83% |
89% |
100% |
100% |
4% |
|
Class of 2023 |
80% |
83% |
92% |
100% |
0% |
|
Class of 2022 |
94% |
84% |
94% |
94% |
15% |
|
Class of 2020 |
73% |
85% |
95% |
95% |
8% |
|
Class of 2019 |
95% |
84% |
100% |
100% |
8% |
|
Class of 2018 |
65% |
84% |
91% |
91% |
4% |
Accreditation Status
The program is accredited by The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). In 2022, the program received the maximum accreditation status of ten years from the COA.
Date of Last Review: 10/2022
Date of Next Review: 10/2032
Accreditation Status: Continued Accreditation
Council on Accreditation
10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906
Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
224-275-9130
Program Administrator
Ann Culp, CRNA, DNP, has been the administrator of the Nurse Anesthesia DNP program since 2018. She is a graduate of the Pittston Hospital School of Nursing and holds a bachelor's degree in health care administration from Ottawa University. She earned her Master of Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from Case Western Reserve University.
Phone: (570) 941-5531
Email: ann.culp@scranton.edu
