Program Info

UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesia/Gannon University DNP-Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice with a concentration in Anesthesia option is designed to provide the professional nurse with an in-depth concentration in clinical anesthesia and prepare graduates of the program to assume the specialized role of nurse anesthetist. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum prepares students as leaders in their practice area. This option is a cooperative one between Gannon University and UPMC Hamot and provides the first two semesters (Summer and Fall) via online distance education. This sequence will allow the student to then transition to Erie to start the Spring semester in January. The curriculum of the UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesia/Gannon University was developed to uphold the program’s mission to create a center of excellence for the advancement of nurse anesthesia education and clinical practice. Course content directs the DNP student to prepare, deliver and evaluate an evidence-based practice project in the clinical arena. This project is an immersion experience and not a research dissertation. Students use research and collaborate to effectively contribute to the health care team's efforts to provide optimal care. Professional nurses who have a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Nursing from an accredited program are encouraged to apply for admission. Students must attend full-time in this option. 

Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to take the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) examination required for certification as a CRNA.

To Become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist:

  • Obtain your bachelor's degree in nursing
  • Work for three years in a critical care and/or emergency room setting
  • Take on leadership roles if possible
  • Take your GRE (if you don't have a master's degree)
  • Apply to the UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesia/Gannon University

 

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Fast Facts

  • Tuition Cost: $96,390
  • Curriculum: 36-month continuous sequence 
  • 1,000 average cases per student
  • Approximately 20 students per graduating class
  • Five clinical affiliations with established partners
  • Simulation learning opportunities at Gannon University’s Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences state-of-the-art simulation center and the UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesia simulation classroom
  • Ten-year accreditation awarded fall 2021 by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
  • Degree awarded: Doctor of Nursing Practice with a concentration in Nurse Anesthesia
  • Housing provided at four outside clinical location sites
  • Low cost of living in Erie, PA, while you go to school

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