Program:
Nursing

Degree Awarded:
Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia

Length of Program:
Full-time: 9 semesters

Application Deadlines:
January 1
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Only Nurse Anesthesia Program in Omaha

Degree Overview

The Clarkson College Nurse Anesthesia program prepares its graduates to provide safe, individualized anesthesia care to a diverse population. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, effective communication, professionalism, interacting respectfully within a diverse society and proficient use of technology. Students prepare to be the best, receiving optimal education in the practice of nurse anesthesia through quality didactic and clinical experiences. The nurse anesthetist program's faculty and clinical instructors are vested in students’ success, and small class sizes optimize students’ educational experiences.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesia program is full-time and front-loaded, beginning with a eight-month off-campus, followed by a 12-month on-campus didactic phase, and finally, a 16-month clinical practicum. The combined theory coursework and hands-on clinical experiences provide students with a well-rounded education to become a full-service nurse anesthesia practitioner.

Clarkson College is associated and shares campuses with Nebraska Medicine. As such, the institution shares many resources such as the medical library as well as the College library with extensive online anesthesia databases.

Core program faculty consist of highly competent, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. The program also incorporates the expertise of other faculty from Clarkson College, Nebraska Medicine, and national and community experts. With just 18 students per class, all faculty are fully committed to students’ academic excellence and success.

In on-site state-of-the-art simulation labs, students integrate didactic principles into the clinical setting including:

  • Administration of general, moderate to deep sedation and local anesthetics
  • Advanced airway management
  • Placement of central regional (epidural and spinal) and peripheral regional blocks
  • Insertion of central venous lines
  • Ultrasound guidance of regional blocks and central lines
  • Management of emergencies in the operating room

Clinical rotations are required in both urban and rural medical facilities, including inpatient and outpatient, and experiences in all areas where nurse anesthetists practice such as MRI, GI, CT Scan, ICU and ER. Specialized experiences include cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, trauma, organ transplantation, obstetrics, acute and chronic pain management with fluoroscopy, dental, and may include pediatric internships at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. The variety of clinical experiences prepares students to safely and effectively administer anesthesia to patients across the lifespan who are undergoing a variety of surgical, medical or other health care procedures.

Upon completion of the program requirements, graduates are eligible to take the National Certification Examination administered by the National Board on the Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

How we prepare
the best

  • Only Nurse Anesthesia program in Omaha
  • Class sizes limited to 22 students
  • Core faculty consists of three CRNAs with vast clinical experience
  • Expert faculty support students through their DNP scholarly project
  • Hands-on learning opportunities in high-fidelity simulation labs
  • Rural and urban clinical practice opportunities
  • An extremely supportive educational environment complete with abundant clinical experience in expert practice settings

Required Courses for BSN to DNP - Nurse Anesthesia

Core Requirement Courses
Courses Semester Hours
DNP 916 - Healthcare Informatics and Data Analytics 3
◊ DNP 915 - Outcomes of Healthcare in a Global Society 3
DNP 918 - Organizational Systems and Behaviors 2
DNP 919 - Healthcare Policy and Law 3
DNP 932 - Leadership 3
DNP 944 - Biostatistics/Epidemiology 2
DNP 945 - Healthcare Economics and Financial Management 3
DNP 948 - Evidence-Based Practice 3
AN 960 (ANA 960) - DNP Scholarly Project I 2
AN 961 (ANA 961) - DNP Scholarly Project II 2
AN 962 (ANA 962) - DNP Scholarly Project III 2
IPE 301 - Interprofessional Education 0
Total Semester Hours 28
Nurse Anesthesia Specialty Core Requirements
Courses Semester Hours
AN 860 (ANA 860) - Professional Aspects of Nurse Anesthesia 3
AN 872 (ANA 872) - Principles of Anesthesia I 4
AN 872L (ANA 872L) - Principles of Anesthesia I Lab 1
AN 873 (ANA 873) - Principles of Anesthesia II 4
AN 873L (ANA 873L) - Principles of Anesthesia II Lab 1
AN 851 (ANA 851) - Advanced Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology I 6
AN 852 (ANA 852) - Advanced Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology II 6
AN 858 (ANA 858) - Scientific Foundations 3
AN 876 (ANA 876) - Advanced Pharmacology I 3
AN 877 (ANA 877) - Advanced Pharmacology II 3
AN 888 (ANA 888) - Clinical Anesthesia Implications 4
AN 830 (ANA 830) - Advanced Physical Assessment for Nurse Anesthesia 3
AN 901 (ANA 901) - Clinical Correlation Conference Seminar I 2
AN 902 (ANA 902) - Clinical Correlation Conference Seminar II 2
AN 903 (ANA 903) - Clinical Correlation Conference Seminar III 2
AN 904 (ANA 904) - Clinical Correlation Conference Seminar IV 2
AN 951 (ANA 951) - Clinical Anesthesia Practicum I 3
AN 952 (ANA 952) - Clinical Anesthesia Practicum II 3
AN 953 (ANA 953) - Clinical Anesthesia Practicum III 3
AN 954 (ANA 954) - Clinical Anesthesia Practicum IV 3
Total Semester Hours 61
Optional Electives

1–3 semester hours

Courses Semester Hours
AN 963 (ANA 963) - DNP Scholarly Project IV 3
AN 964 (ANA 964) - DNP Scholarly Project V 3

Tuition and Fees

Estimated rates for the 2023-24 academic year. Rates are subject to change. Find out more information about costs, tuition, and fees.

Scholarships

Learn which scholarships you are eligible for as an in-coming or current student.
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Financial Aid

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Nurse Anesthesia Courses

Cost per Credit Hour
$1082


Cost per Semester
$11,965 - Full-time (12 hrs)
$6,070 - Part-time (6 hrs)

Tuition
Nurse Anesthesia Courses$1082 / credit-hour
Graduate Courses$941 / credit-hour
Fees - Included in cost per semester
Enrollment Fee - CRNA $1000/ student
Degree Specific Fees - Not included in cost per semester
Interprofessional education – IPE Course Fee IPE 301 $124/ student
National Certification Exam $995/ student
Research Fee $Cost varies/ student

Career Overview

Median Salary

$190,000  
AANA 2019 CRNA Compensation & Benefits Survey

Job Outlook

Overall employment of nurse anesthetists is projected to grow 26 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019

Career Options

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.