UTMB's DNP Mission Statement

The UTMB DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program will educate and prepare exemplary Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists to provide culturally competent and outstanding care for all patients across the life span.

Objectives of the DNP Program

  • Integrate nursing science and theory with scientific and theoretical knowledge from other disciplines as the basis for the highest level of nursing practice.
  • Develop and evaluate culturally appropriate and effective approaches to health care delivery that meet current and future health care needs.
  • Use information technology and ethical research methods to improve practice and the practice environment.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of standards and principles for selecting and evaluating information systems, patient care technology, and related ethical, regulatory, and legal issues.
  • Analyze health care policy and function as an advocate for the nursing profession.
  • Communicate and collaborate effectively to function as a leader in interprofessional teams.
  • Analyze epidemiological, biostatistical, occupational, and/or environmental data in the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of clinical prevention and population health.
  • Demonstrate the foundational practice competencies required for DNP practice

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Nurse Anesthesia

The UTMB School of Nursing is accredited to offer the BSN to DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906, Rosemont, IL 60018-5603; (224) 275-9130.

Mission

The UTMB DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program will educate and prepare exemplary Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists to provide culturally competent and outstanding care for all patients across the life span.

Vision

We will create and sustain a collaborative program focused on excellence, safety, leadership, and innovation in nurse anesthesia practice.

DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program Highlights

Values

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program embodies integrity, excellence, respect, leadership, and professionalism.

Our Faculty

Our DNP faculty are nationally recognized and prepared to offer you a student-centered education.

Classroom

Small class sizes provide an intimate feel to your educational experience.

Clinical Partners

UTMB Galveston, Clear Lake and Angleton; HCA Clear Lake, Kingwood, Northwest, and West; MD Anderson Cancer Center; HCA Corpus Christi Doctors Regional and Bay Area.

Licensure & Certification Requirements

Required: Current (active), valid, unencumbered license as a registered professional nurse and/or an APRN in the United States or its territories or protectorates. Required to submit verification of ACLS, PALS, BLS and CCRN to Castle Branch.

Degree Requirements

Required: Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) from a program accredited by the National Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

GPA Requirements

A minimum GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 hours of all bachelors and higher level coursework is required.

A minimum GPA of 3.0 for all science courses across all coursework is required.

Transcripts must show Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry taken in the last 5 years, with a grade of B or higher, and a completed basic statistics course. Courses must be completed at a regionally accredited college or university.

Work Experience

Minimum one-year of recent full-time equivalent work experience in critical care as a registered nurse, two years preferred. Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories or a US military hospital outside of the United States.

Critical Care Experience: for information about what is considered acceptable critical care experience, visit the FAQs.

Required Application Documents

Required: a resume, all official transcripts, a personal statement of career, educational & scholarship goals (see personal statement guidelines) & three (3) letters of reference: one letter must be from a current clinical manager and the others may be professional or academic.

Other Requirements

Required: A personal interview with faculty. Completion of Kira Video Assessment. Access to this assessment is available through NursingCAS.

For Graduates of Foreign Universities: TOEFL minimum requirements: Computer score minimum: 83 or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score minimum: 6.5

9

Semesters

36

Courses


  • 1

     Semester

    5 Courses (16 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 2

     Semester

    5 Courses (15 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 3

     Semester

    5 Courses (12 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 4

     Semester

    6 Courses (16 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 5

     Semester

    5 Courses (12 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 6

     Semester

    2 Courses (10 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 7

     Semester

    3 Courses (11 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 8

     Semester

    3 Courses (11 Hours)

    See Breakdown
  • 9

     Semester

    2 Courses (9 Hours)

    See Breakdown

    Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

    Nurse Anesthesia

    • Semester 1
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6310 Professional Writing 3
      GDNP 6327 Transformational Leadership 3
      PHAS 5311 Pathophysiologic Processes I 3
      GDNP 6519 Human Anatomy for Nurse Anesthesia 5
      GDNP 6337 Informatics 2
      Semester 2
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6303 Data Analysis & Evaluation 3
      GDNP 6325 Health Care Policy 3
      GDNP 6307 Advanced Health Assessment 3
      PHAS 5312 Pathophysiologic Processes II 3
      GDNP 6510 Physiology and Biochemistry for Nurse Anesthesia Practice 3
      Semester 3
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6362 Quality Improvement 3
      GDNP 6121 Project Mentoring 1
      GNRS 6359 Economics & Business 3
      GDNP 6506 Principles of Advanced Nurse Anesthesia Practice I 2
      GDNP 6302 Population Health 3
      Semester 4
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6501 Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthesia I 3
      GDNP 6505 Nurse Anesthesia Practice Management and Role Development 2
      GDNP 6335 Systems Thinking I (Translational Methods I) 3
      GRNP 6507 Principles of Advanced Nurse Anesthesia Practice II 5
      GDNP 6508 Nurse Anesthesia Simulation Lab I 1
      GDNP 6504 Regional, Neuraxial, and Radiology Principles for Nurse Anesthesia Practice 2
      Semester 5
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6502 Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthesia II 3
      GDNP 6336 Systems Thinking II (Translational Methods II) 3
      GDNP 6514 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical I 2
      GDNP 6503 Subspecialty Anesthesia, Principles of Practice 3
      GDNP 6509 Nurse Anesthesia Simulation Lab II 1
      Semester 6
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6211 Systems Thinking III (SPP I) 2
      GDNP 6515 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical II 8
      Semester 7
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6212 Systems Thinking IV 2
      GDNP 6516 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical III 8
      GDNP 6511 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Correlative Seminar I 1
      Semester 8
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6213 Systems Thinking V (SPP III) 2
      GDNP 6517 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical IV 8
      GDNP 6512 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Correlative Seminar II 1
      Semester 9
      Course Number Course Name Hours
      GDNP 6518 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical V 8
      GDNP 6513 Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Correlative Seminar III 1

    DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program Fast Facts

    National Pass Rate Attrition Rate 6mo Graduation Employment Rate
    Pending Pending Pending
    * This information will be updated as the program's cohorts move forward.

     Frequent Questions

        • What information will the School of Nursing consider when reviewing files for admission?

          The school takes a holistic approach to reviewing applications, evaluating health-related work and volunteer experiences, personal factors affecting education, strengths and weaknesses, professional goals, and other relevant information. Academic factors reviewed include cumulative GPA, science GPA, the last 60 credit hours, graduate coursework, and the number of withdrawals or failures. The committee also considers accomplishments, leadership roles, ICU experience, cultural and community involvement, extracurriculars, and the mandatory Kira Assessment, which is integral to the admission process.


        • Do former UTMB students have to submit transcripts to NursingCAS?

          No. If you are an alumni of UTMB you do not have to submit your transcripts. You will still have to log into NursingCAS, submit all other required documents, and after you submit your application, email the Office of Student Affairs & Admissions at son.studentaffairs@utmb.edu and let them know that you have submitted your application and you are an alumni. We will attach your transcripts to your application for you. If you have attended another university after you attended UTMB, then you will have to follow the previous instructions and submit only the transcript of the school attended after UTMB.


        • How do I request credit for nursing courses taken at another school?

          Graduate students may transfer up to twelve (12) credit hours. After you are admitted to the UTMB School of Nursing, you may submit a petition to the Graduate Program Director for a transfer of credits. email the Office of Student Affairs & Admissions at son.studentaffairs@utmb.edu and inform them that you have courses that you would like to receive credit for and she will email you the necessary form with instructions on how to submit your petition for credit. After your petition is reviewed, you will be notified which courses are approved or denied for transfer credit. No nurse anesthesia-specific coursework will be considered.


        • I live outside of the United States of America. May I attend UTMB DNP program?

          Since the DNP program is a variable in-person commitment, this program does not meet the requirements for students who have VISAs for educational purposes.


        • Can I transfer to UTMB School of Nursing if I have a degree from another country?

          Based on COA accreditation requirements the student must have received a Bachelor of Nursing from a nationally accredited university. Applicants with international credits must submit an official course-by-course credentialing report to NursingCAS using one UTMB's required Credentialing Services. Please click here to see the Credentialing services approved by UTMB.


        • Do all the course requirements (Statistics & Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry) need to be completed in order to apply for the Nurse Anesthesia Program?

          If a course is in progress, please provide proof of progress when submitting your NursingCAS application. Final transcripts with a grade for the in-progress course(s) must be submitted and verified by the close of the application cycle.


        • If I previously withdrew from another nurse anesthesia program, may I still apply?

          If you were previously enrolled in another nurse anesthesia program, documentation of continued eligibility by the program director must be provided. If you are unable to provide continued eligibility, you will not meet admission requirements.


        • Does UTMB School of Nursing offer accredited Programs?

          Yes. The graduate programs are approved by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). UTMB is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.


        • What is the difference between a DNP degree and a PhD degree?

          The DNP is a terminal degree in nursing focused on practice. The PhD emphasizes fundamental research. In the DNP program, students complete a scholarly practice project, a form of inquiry that results in improved patient outcomes and transformations in health care.


        • Is the program online?

          There will be a portion of online content within the Nurse Anesthesia Program, primarily the core DNP courses. Starting the first semester, there will be mandatory in-person time on campus. This program is full-time, and working is highly discouraged as the in-person schedule will vary every semester, and the program demands will require a full-time commitment.


        • How often will I be required to come to campus?

          This will vary each semester, but there will be mandatory on campus learning almost weekly.


        • How long will it take to complete the program?

          The BSN to DNP Nurse Anesthesia program is an intensive 36-month program. The total program will be 112 total credit hours and conclude with the completion of an evidence based scholarly project that meets doctoral rigor.


        • Can I work while attending the DNP program?

          The BSN/DNP Nurse Anesthesia program is an intensive 36-month program and working while in school is highly discouraged. The first 18 months of the program there are in person mandatory activities and the schedule can change each semester. If a decision is made to work, the program director must be aware, and the student needs to be good academic standing. The second 18 months of the program, will consist of clinical rotations, and will be full time hours with rotating schedules. At no part in the program may the student work in any capacity of delivering anesthesia services.


        • Is there a clinical requirement?

          Students will be in clinical for the last 18 months of the program. The COA requires a minimum of 2000 clinical hours; however, we will strive to surpass the minimal requirements.


        • Are there any additional coursework requirements?

          The BSN/DNP Nurse Anesthesia program requires potential applicants to complete the lecture portion of Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry within the last 5 years, with a grade of B or higher. A completed basic statistics course is also required. All required coursework must be completed before the admissions cycle begins.


        • What critical care experience is considered?

          A minimum of at least 1 year of recent full-time equivalent critical care experience is required to apply for the BSN/DNP Nurse Anesthesia program. Critical clinical experience includes but is not limited to, invasive monitoring, ventilator management, and vasoactive drip management. All adult, pediatric, and Level IV neonatal critical care units are considered critical care experience. Step-down units, recovery room, emergency room, and cardiac catheterization lab do not meet the critical care experience requirement defined by the COA.

          Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories or a US military hospital outside of the United States.


        • What is the Scholarly Practice Project?

          The Scholarly Practice Project is the culminating work in the DNP program. Students synthesize the skills gained in other courses to identify a clinical problem or need and develop an evidence-based approach to address this need or problem. The project must be practice-based, have an anesthesia focus, and should result in a change or improvement in practice.


        • How many admission start dates are available per year?

          UTMB graduate programs have one admission per year, each Fall.

      Contact Us

      Homan, Lauren

      Program Information

      If you have any questions about the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program, email sondnpcrna@utmb.edu.