Nurse Anesthesia FAQs

Pre-Admission Qualifications

1. Do I need to have two years of Critical Care experience before I submit my application?

No. However, you must have at least two years of critical care experience within the last five years before the start of the program.

2. What is considered "Critical Care Experience"?

As 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. During this experience, the registered professional nurse has developed critical decision making and psychomotor skills, competency in patient assessment, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. A critical care area is defined as one where, on a routine basis, the registered professional nurse manages one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (e.g., pulmonary artery, central venous pressure, and arterial catheters), cardiac assist devices, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive infusions. Examples of critical care units may include but are not limited to: surgical intensive care, cardiothoracic intensive care, coronary intensive care, medical intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and neonatal intensive care. Those who have experiences in other areas may be considered provided they can demonstrate competence with managing unstable patients, invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.

3. Does emergency room and/or operating room experience count towards the critical care requirement?

No.

4. How recent should my Critical Care/ICU experience be?

Two years of full-time clinical experience in an intensive care unit within the last five years is required for the Nurse Anesthesia concentration.

5. Do I need to possess and maintain Basic Life Support, (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) throughout the Program?

Yes. Students entering the program need to be able to document current certifications in BLS, ACLS and PALS on the first day of classes. Current status in all three certifications must be maintained throughout the program.

6. Do you require applicants to have CCRN certification?

We do not require applicants to have CCRN certification to apply but it is strongly encouraged that applicants are CCRN certified.

7. Can I observe the role of a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) before I apply?

Yes. We encourage all applicants to become familiar with the role of the CRNA through "shadowing." Spending time with a CRNA is one of the best ways to learn more about the profession and to determine if it will be a good fit for you.

Admissions and Application Process

1. When are applications accepted for admission to the Nursing Anesthesia Program?

Applications to begin the program in January ("spring semester") are due by April 14. No late submissions will be considered.

2. What if I haven’t completed my BSN or achieved my 2 years of critical care by the deadline?

The BSN must be completed by May or August of the application year.  Two years of critical care experience must be achieved before start of program. 

3. Can I apply to both the Chattanooga and Tupelo locations at the same time?

No. At the time of application, you must choose one or the other.

4. What steps do I have to take to re-apply to the program?

You must complete a new Graduate and nursing program application for the cohort year.

5. How competitive is the application selection process?

We receive over 100 applications per year. We invite 60-65 for interviews We traditionally accept approximately 24-27 students for each class but look more to applicant qualifications than to class size when making the decisions each year. Applicants must answer personal statement essay questions and may also submit a formatted personal statement as part of their resume.

6. Do all applicants get an interview?

No. Admission into our program is very competitive. All submitted applications are reviewed by the admissions committee. Each application is thoroughly reviewed by the committee with regard to science GPA, GRE score, clinical experience, reference letters, and personal statements. Invitations to interview are extended to those applicants who the committee feels are most qualified to meet the rigor of the program.

8. How soon after I apply to the program will I hear if I've been accepted?

Applicants for admission will be contacted within two weeks following completion of the interview process. Individuals selected for admission accept their seat through the acceptance email within five days of notification. If a candidate accepts the offered slot in the program, a $1,000 non-refundable matriculation fee (a seat fee) will be required to secure the candidate's position in the program.

9. Is the matriculation fee refundable once I have been accepted into the program?

No, the $1,000 matriculation fee will be applied to your first semester expenses upon acceptance into the program. Further, we will only accept a cashier's check or money order. Personal checks will not be accepted.

10. Is there a waiting list for admission?

The UTC Nurse Anesthesia Program holds a short alternate list from the interviewed applicants. Applicants on the alternate list do not roll to the next cohort. Applicants will have to reapply. 

11. I have my bachelor's degree in an area other than nursing. Can I apply for admission into the program?

No. We can only consider applicants who have earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

12. Do I need to take the GRE exam for admission? Is there a minimum grade point average (GPA) required?

No GRE required.  An overall Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required. Our goal is to admit students who will have the best chance at success in the program.

13. Which institution code should I use to forward my GRE score?

The GRE code is 1831.

14. Are there any prerequisite courses that I need before I apply for admission?

We do not require any pre-requisite undergraduate classes. Bachelors or post-bachelors course work, however must be satisfactory. Given the strong science-based curriculum of anesthesia. it is important that you can demonstrate undergraduate success in all science-related course work (physiology, pathophysiology, biology, chemistry, pharmacology, etc) If you make a "C" or lower in any of your science courses, we strongly recommended that you re-take those course(s) to better improve your academic profile.

15. I have taken a course which I think is the same as one of your courses. Do I have to retake the course at UTC?

It is possible to transfer up to six credits of graduate work earned elsewhere. Only courses in which a student has obtained a grade of “B” or better, and which have not been applied to another degree, will be accepted. Before acceptance into the program, you need to provide the Director of the Nurse Anesthesia program with copies of course syllabi as well as other documentation so that they can compare your course to that at UTC. All nurse anesthesia courses must be completed at UTC.

16. What if I already have a graduate degree in nursing?

The GRE requirement is waived if you have a Masters degree. At this time, we do not offer a post-DNP certificate option. 

Financial Aid and Housing

1. What are the financial costs associated with the program?

Information regarding current tuition and fees can be found on at the Bursar's Office website or the fee estimator.  Please be aware that in addition to tuition and fees, Nursing courses also require a $100/credit hour differential fee.

2. Are there additional expenses besides the cost of tuition?

There are several expenses, in addition to tuition, for which the student will be responsible:

• Nursing differential fee ($100/credit hour)
• Textbook fees
• American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) membership fee
• Clinical Supplies (lab coat, stethoscope, nerve stimulator, ear piece)
• Health Insurance
• National Certification Exam (NCE) fee
• ACLS and PALS Recertification Courses

Please see Estimated Expenses for more information.

3. What types of financial aid are available?

Financial aid is readily available for nurse anesthesia students. Awards include aid from Federal Stafford loans, Federal Nurse Anesthesia Traineeships, and potential employers. Accepted applicants should contact the UTC Financial Aid office (423-425-4667) when they are notified of acceptance. Begin the process early by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on-line at studentaid.gov.

4. I live in Mississippi; will I have to pay out-of-state costs?

Yes. See the fee schedule from the Bursars Office or the fee estimator. 

5. What is the Academic Common Market?

This is a consortium of 16 southern states that belong to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Through this program, students wishing to pursue study in graduate programs not available within their home states may be able to attend out-of-state programs at in-state tuition rates. Currently, the following states are partners in the academic common market: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida (graduate programs only), Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina (graduate programs with restrictions), Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (graduate programs only), Virginia and West Virginia. Additional information on the Academic Common Market can be found at www.sreb.org.

6. What housing options are available on campus?

To those students who choose to live on campus, UTC provides an array of attractive housing options.

General Questions

1. When do classes begin?

The school year begins in January of each year.

2. Can I attend the program on a part-time basis?

No. The program is designed for full-time study.

3. Is UTC's Nurse Anesthesia program front-loaded or integrated?

First, an explanation on the differences between the two. Integrated nurse anesthesia programs typically arrange their curricula so that students participate in didactic and clinical education concurrently while front loaded program students complete all didactic courses before beginning their clinical experience. UTC's Nurse Anesthesia program is front loaded the first year and integrated years 2 and 3. 

4. Does the program include simulation?

Yes, patient simulators are used to provide consistent and safe simulation of both routine and unusual anesthesia situations.

5. Can I work during the program?

Being enrolled in the nurse anesthesia program at UTC is a full-time endeavor and the curriculum is very demanding. The time commitment involved averages on a minimum of 40 to 50 hours per week in the clinical area and/or classroom. With that said, we strongly discourage students from working during their time in the program. Doing so could negatively impact your academic and clinical experience

6. Do I need my own computer?

The faculty expects beginning students to be academically prepared to undertake the graduate level study of nursing, clinical, and basic sciences. The curriculum incorporates the intensive use of informational technology for educational purposes. All students are required to have a laptop computer or tablet and must possess basic computer skills and equipment prior to enrollment. These skills and equipment include, but are not limited to the following:

• Able to use MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Able to send and receive emails and attachments to emails
• Online Internet service of choice must be maintained, at student cost, for duration of the program of study.  It is strongly recommended that you have some type of high-speed Wi-Fi access.
• Anti-virus software, Adobe Acrobat Reader
   

7. What is your accreditation status?

The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and post-graduate APRN certificate at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA).