Nurse Anesthesia

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The UTC Nurse Anesthesia program is transitioning from the MSN to the BSN-DNP degree offering. The last MSN cohort started in May 2021.

Our program application was submitted to the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The approval decision is deferred to mid-October 2021. Pending COA and UTC approval, our first DNP cohort will start in January 2022. No students may be enrolled in the DNP degree offering until it is approved by the COA. We will be notified regarding the status of our application shortly after the COA October 2021 meeting.

If you wish to apply to the Nurse Anesthesia DNP program, please proceed with completing the MSN application.

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia program is 36 months (3 years) of full-time study (see Proposed BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program of Study). The admission criteria are the same as the MSN admission criteria. The application deadline is July 1, 2021. We are planning to interview in August and the interviews will likely be virtual.

Rich Learning Experience

Rigorous coursework with bountiful clinical experiences prepares our students for the national certification exam offered by the NBCRNA. Once certified, graduates from UTC may begin work immediately as a CRNA, without the need for additional on-the-job training or work-related orientation.

No Competition

Medical residency programs in anesthesia are not offered at any of the hospitals where students complete their clinical rotations. As a result, UTC nurse anesthesia students do not compete with anesthesiology residents for opportunities to participate in challenging clinical experiences.

Successful First-time Pass Rates on NCE

Graduates from the UTC/Erlanger Health Systems MSN Nurse Anesthesia program traditionally outperform the national first-time pass rate on the NCE. Students who complete the program at the UTC/Erlanger Nurse Anesthesia Program traditionally score above the national average on their certification examination after graduation:

2017: 93%
2018: 62%
2019: 92%
2020: 85%

North Mississippi Medical Center Partnership

Students from Mississippi are encouraged to take advantage of UTC's partnership with North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. Through state-of-the-art distance learning technology, students in Tupelo are able to attend classes, participating in clinical rotations at North Mississippi Medical Center, gaining access to various specialty areas of anesthesia practice within one institution and without additional travel.

Full Accreditation

The master’s degree in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). The MSN Nurse Anesthesia Concentration is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) through May 2023. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) requires that all students matriculating into a nurse anesthesia educational program on January 1, 2022 or thereafter be enrolled in a program approved by the COA to award a practice doctoral degree. Pending approval by the COA, the program plans to enroll its first doctoral cohort of students in January 2022. Further information regarding this transition may be obtained by contacting the program at [email protected] or 423-425-5693.