Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice

Academic and Scientific Prerequisites

Program prerequisites include appropriate undergraduate course work in biology, anatomy, physiology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, introductory physics, statistics or nursing research, health assessment and English composition. A minimum of one year of critical care or emergency department experience in a high acuity setting and shadow experience of CRNAs or anesthesiologists. Licensure as a registered nurse in California and current BLS, ACLS and PALS certifications are required prior to enrollment. Science work in anatomy, physiology, and chemistry/biochemistry is essential and must be current (completed within 10 years of program admission). Essential science course work older than 10 years must be retaken to meet admissions requirements. Conversational Spanish is strongly recommended.

Computer Skill Requirements

During the program, students must have a personal computer or notebook with Internet access. The primary mode of program communication is email and the Blackboard learning platform. Email and Blackboard accounts are provided by the University to all students and can be activated online.

Advisement

Prospective students should contact the program’s admission office, (323) 442-2037 or uscnap@usc.edu for evaluation of previous course work and clinical background and for dates of information sessions offered each May and July.

Admission

General requirements for admission include graduation from a regionally accredited school of nursing, a baccalaureate degree (minimum requirement), in nursing or a related field from a regionally accredited university or college, a minimum of two years of critical care nursing experience (surgical, medical, neurosurgical, trauma, pediatric or neonatal acceptable; postanesthesia care unit and/or emergency department will be determined on an individual basis), a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0, or higher, on a scale of 4.0, Graduate Record Examinations score with a suggested minimum of 300 on verbal and quantitative combined, completion of university and program supplemental applications, current licensure as a registered nurse, completion of shadow verification form, submission of two statement of purpose questions, a professional resume and three letters of recommendation.

Competitive applicants will be interviewed and must articulate their reasons for seeking this educational opportunity and demonstrate an acceptable understanding of the role and responsibilities of certified registered nurse anesthetists. Selections are made on the basis of the formal interview and consideration of a variety of factors that include academic record, type and amount of clinical experience and professionalism.

Admission procedures follow the information in the USC Graduate School section of this catalogue. Admission standards for the USC nurse anesthesia program are established jointly by the Keck School of Medicine, the USC Graduate School and the Department of Anesthesiology. Interested students should apply online at gradadm.usc.edu. Additional admissions requirements and the supplemental application can be obtained from the nurse anesthesia program website at keck.usc.edu/nurse-anesthesia-program/ or can be requested through email at uscdnap@usc.edu.

Degree Requirements

The program consists of a minimum of 78 units (including academic and clinical courses, the doctoral capstone project, and four semesters of Clinical Synthesis). The program is completed in 36 months of continuous enrollment (nine semesters).

Note

All students will take the Self-Evaluation Examination (SEE) administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) in the sixth and eighth clinical semesters. The Program administration will determine and certify students eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCRNA, contingent upon successful completion of all course work.