Nurse Anesthesiology (MS)
Description
The Nurse Anesthesia program is dedicated to providing educational excellence for the graduate student through comprehensive classroom and clinical experiences. Our faculty nurture professional responsibility and commitment to research and other professional activities. The academic curriculum, as well as the variety and quantity of clinical experiences offered by our partnership with affiliated clinical sites allow students to become highly skilled Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). High quality anesthesia care encompasses in-depth knowledge, judgment and problem solving skills, proficient implementation of technical skills, and values and beliefs which positively affect relationships with patients and members of the health care team. To integrate these critical skills, the program incorporates learning activities which facilitate the development of entry-level CRNAs. Students prepare for full participation in anesthesia care, as members of a health care team responsible for total patient care.
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Accreditation
The University of Detroit Mercy Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 222 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL, 60068, (847) 655-1160. The program's next accreditation review by the COA is scheduled for October 2025.
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Admissions Requirements
The master's program is targeted to outstanding Registered Nurses with critical care experience who possess a baccalaureate degree. Requirements include:
- Graduation from an accredited (ACEN or CCNE) nursing program.
- Baccalaureate degree in Nursing or appropriate science degree. A bachelor's degree in a natural science is accepted. Examples are Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Biology, or Physics. If you have another degree, your past academic background is individually considered for predictors of success in our program, such as a strong science background and good performance.
- Minimum of one year recent experience (within the last 5 years) as a professional registered nurse in a critical care area in the Unites States, in which the applicant has had the opportunity to develop as an independent decision maker, demonstrate psychomotor skills and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. Direct patient contact is required.
- The requirement for critical care is that you have experience as a Registered Nurse in a critical care area, with emphasis placed on invasive hemodynamic monitoring, ventilatory care and pharmacologic management. The preferred areas (with the greatest preference first) are: SICU (Surgical Intensive Care), MICU (Medical Intensive Care), CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care), PICU/NICU (Pediatric or Neonatal Intensive Care). Applicants have also been accepted whose experience is primarily in the Emergency Room, provided they can demonstrate familiarity with invasive monitoring, ventilators and critical care pharmacology.
- Professional/academic competency attested by three letters of recommendation submitted directly to us by the recommender.
- Have the online recommendations filled out by an academic reference (e.g. a professor in your BSN program), your current immediate supervisor (charge nurse or nurse manager) in critical care, and a colleague who is a CRNA, physician or RN, and is familiar with your critical care skills.
- For Nurse Managers and Colleague recommendations: We are interested in an assessment of the applicant's critical care nursing skills, personal characteristics (maturity and readiness for a difficult program of study), and degree of professional development as a Registered Nurse.
- For Nursing School Academic references: We are interested in whether the applicant is recommended for further study as a graduate student.
- A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above.
- Undergraduate coursework: Transcripts should reflect one undergraduate course taken within the last ten years, with a grade of B or above, in each of the following topical areas: Inorganic chemistry, Organic (or Bio-) chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Research Methods.
- Submission of a professional autobiography delineating personal goals of graduate study.
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
- Current unencumbered licensure as a professional registered nurse in Michigan, or ability to obtain the same.
- Applicants must demonstrate they can meet the technical standards published in our handbook, and complete the application process as directed here including filling out and signing the Statement of Accuracy form.
Note:
- We do not accept ACLS certification obtained online.
- We no longer require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
- We expect that applicants will shadow a CRNA during the application process (prior to interview) to learn more about the specialty and help them determine if nurse anesthesia suits them.
- Once accepted, enrollment is contingent on successfully passing a health and drug screening as well as a criminal background check, and remaining in critical care until enrollment. Policy and forms for are on the web site.
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Outcome Criteria
Attainment of these final objectives demonstrates that graduates have acquired knowledge, skills and competencies in the areas of patient safety, perianesthetic management, critical thinking, communication, and the professional role.
Patient safety is demonstrated by the ability of the graduate to:
- Be vigilant in the delivery of patient care
- Protect patients from iatrogenic complications
- Participate in the positioning of patients to prevent injury
- Conduct a comprehensive and appropriate equipment check
- Utilize standard precautions and appropriate infection control measures
Individualized Perianesthetic Management is demonstrated by the ability of the graduate to:
- Provide care throughout the perianesthetic continuum
- Use a variety of current anesthesia techniques, agents, adjunctive drugs, and equipment while providing anesthesia
- Administer general anesthesia to patients of all ages and physical conditions for a variety of surgical and medically-related procedures
- Provide anesthesia services to all patients, including trauma and emergency cases
- Administer and manage a variety of regional anesthetics
- Function as a resource-person for airway and ventilatory management of patients
- Possess current advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) recognition
- Possess current pediatric advanced life support (PALS) recognition
- Deliver culturally-competent perianesthetic care throughout the anesthesia experience
Critical thinking is demonstrated by the graduate's ability to:
- Apply theory to practice in decision-making and problem solving,
- Provide nurse anesthesia care based on sound principles and research evidence,
- Perform a preanesthetic assessment and formulate an anesthesia care plan for patients to whom they are assigned to administer anesthesia,
- Identify and take appropriate action when confronted with anesthetic equipment-related malfunctions.
- Interpret and utilize data obtained from noninvasive and invasive monitoring modalities.
- Calculate, initiate, and manage fluid and blood component therapy.
- Recognize and appropriately respond to anesthetic complications that occur during the perianesthetic period
- Pass the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists' (CCNA) certification examination in accordance with CCNA policies and procedures
Communication Skills are demonstrated by the graduate's ability to:
- Effectively communicate with all individuals influencing patient care
- Utilize appropriate verbal, nonverbal, and written communication in the delivery of perianesthetic care
Professional role is demonstrated by the graduate's ability to:
- Participate in activities that improve anesthesia care
- Function within appropriate legal requirements as a registered professional nurse accepting responsibility and accountability for his or her practice
- Interact on a professional level with integrity
- Teach others
- Participate in continuing education activities to acquire new knowledge and improve his or her practice
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Curriculum
The curriculum is typically taken in either 27 months ("full-time") or 39 months ("extended" or "part-time". Both are discussed below on this page. Note: the curriculum is subject to change.
Full-Time (27 month) Track
The listing includes course number, title, and credit hours. These credit hours are based on 4-month terms. For example, BIO 5380 meets for 4 hours of lecture per week, over a four month period (4 x 16 = 64 contact hours total). Please note that only classroom experiences follow this format. Clinical Internships or research classes may require more time commitment than indicated by their credit weight.
Term 1 Fall
- BIO 5380 Graduate Physiology I (4 credits)
- ANE 5600 Pharmacology I (4 credits)
- BIO 5420/5440 Gross Anatomy/Gross Anatomical Dissection (Lecture/lab) (4 credits)
- ANE 5490 Principles of Nurse Anesthesia I (3 credits)
- ANE 5491 Preoperative Physical Assessment (1 credits)
16 credits total
Term 2 Winter
- BIO 5390 Graduate Physiology II (4 credits)
- ANE 5610 Pharmacology II (4 credits)
- ANE 5500 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia I (4 credits)
- ANE 6010 Clinical Internship I (1 credits)
- ANE 5700 Regional Anesthesia (2 credits)
15 credits total
Term 3 Summer
- ANE 5510 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia II (4 credits)
- ANE 5300 Physics and Biomedical Measurement (3 credits)
- PYC 5030 Statistics (3 credits)
- ANE 6020 Clinical Internship II (1 credits)
11 credits. PYC 5030 Statistics may be taken prior to enrollment, or in any term before Term 5.
Term 4 Fall
- ANE 5520 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia III (2 credits)
- HLH 5500 Research Methods in Health Care (3 credits)
- ANE 5100 Professional Aspects/Nurse Anesthesia (2 credits)
- ANE 6030 Clinical Internship III (1 credits)
8 credits
Term 5 Winter
- ANE 6990 Masters Project (1 credits)
- * or Elective; see below (3 credits)
- ANE 6100 Anesthesiology Seminar I (1 credits)
- ANE 6040 Clinical Internship IV (1 credits)
5 credits total.
Students may elect to perform a research project. In this case they will choose ANE 6990 Master's Project for one credit in each of Terms 5, 6, and 7. Students who do not complete the project will take one three-credit elective before graduating. Coursework is subject to the approval of the Director, and could include topical areas such as health care law, finance, ethics, or management.
Term 6 Summer
2 credits total.
Term 7 Fall
2 credits total.
Total credits = 59
Students may elect to perform a research project. In this case they will choose ANE 6990 Master's Project for one credit in each of Term 5, 6, and 7. Students who do not complete the project will take one three-credit elective before graduating. Coursework is subject to the approval of the Director, and could include topical areas such as health care law, finance, ethics, or management.
Extended (39 month) Track
The 59 credits (same number as the 27 month track) are taken in 39 months. We refer to this curriculum as an extended curriculum (rather than "part-time") because the time commitment for the students in this track, in their last 18 months, is identical to the time commitment of students in the full-time track.
- In the first 12 months of the 39 month track, the student takes approximately 15 credits and has no clinical component. It is realistic to remain employed (part-time or perhaps even full-time) during this period.
- In months 13-24, the student has clinical and classroom commitments (with the exception of the credits already taken) identical to the full-time track. So the time commitment is less than the full-time track. How many hours you can continue to be employed depends on your energy level, family responsibilities, and how well you are doing in the classroom and in the clinical area.
- In months 25-39, there is no difference in time commitment between the two tracks and it is strongly suggested that students will do better without any outside work responsibilities, in view of the demands of the clinical area and the scholarly project.
The choice of full or part time track is generally left up to the individual student, who declares their intent at the time enrollment is offered. You are strongly encouraged to speak directly to the program Director or Assistant Director if you are interested in this track.
Choice of courses, and their order, are established by mutual agreement with the program chair. Typically, an extended-track student may take BIO 5420, BIO 5380, BIO 5390, PYC 5030, HLH 5500, and their elective (if they choose one) in their first 12 months.
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Program Policy Manual
The contains additional policies which apply to Nurse Anesthesia students.
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Program Contact Information
- McNichols Campus, CHP Bulding Room 336
- Department Chair (313) 993-2454 voice, (313) 993-1271 fax
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Cost of attendance