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Doctor of Nursing Practice with a Concentration in Nurse Anesthesia (DNP NAP)

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What You’ll Learn

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP) is a 36-month (12-quarter), full-time BSN-to-DNP course of study with the goal of producing highly skilled, independent graduate nurse anesthetists eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam (NCE) to become board-certified as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). The program utilizes a hybrid curriculum design, which includes:

  • distance education courses; synchronous and asynchronous methods utilized.
  • on-ground intensive sessions; in-person learning with faculty and peers during required intensive sessions in Knoxville, Tennessee as scheduled by program administration.
  • clinical practicums courses; abundant and diverse clinical experiences are available to program students to ensure graduates are ready to enter practice.

Students will not be required to physically relocate for slightly more than one year (5 quarters) of hybrid distance education.

Part-time clinical studies begin in program year two and transition to full-time clinical immersion in program year three. Students are assigned to a regional clinical cohort in one of six regional clinical satellite campuses:

  • Arizona (Phoenix/Tucson)
  • Georgia (Atlanta)
  • Florida (Orlando)
  • Indiana (Fort Wayne)
  • Louisiana (Alexandria)
  • Texas (McAllen/Edinburg)

To facilitate clinical learning and for consistency with clinical educator oversight, students may be required to relocate at the beginning of the clinical phase, if they do not already reside in the region to which they are assigned by the program. Preference for clinical campus assignment will be elicited during the application process.

DNP-hero

What can I do with a Doctor of Nursing Practice with Concentration in Nurse Anesthesia (DNP NAP)?

CLINICALLY PRACTICING CRNA ACADEMICALLY PRACTICING CRNA ADMINISTRATIVE CRNA

Learn More About South College

Find out all you need to know about our programs, financial aid, scholarships, admission requirements and more. Start your journey at South College by completing the form below.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Baccalaureate-level science and nursing courses, acute critical-care experience, and critical thinking are keys to success in the DNP NAP and as a practicing CRNA. At least one year of critical-care experience is required in order to be considered for admission to the program. Courses in human anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, physical assessment, chemistry, physics and pharmacology are essential. There are no prerequisite courses required, but prospective students should re-take a course in inorganic chemistry (no lab required) if it has been more than five years since last studying this subject.

Becoming a Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN) is not required, but it is preferred. Advocacy and professional development activities demonstrate dedication and professionalism. Nurse anesthesia school is highly competitive and full-time, with no part-time option. It is best not to be clinically employed as a registered nurse during the program but is not prohibited until the clinical practicum series begins in program year two (quarter six).

To succeed both in the South College DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program and as a CRNA in general, students must be hardworking, passionate, professional, flexible, resilient, and able to both lead and be a contributing member of a team.

Interprofessional Education

Interprofessional educational opportunities are abundant with faculty and students from other South College School of Nursing programs, the Physician Assistant program, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and the School of Pharmacy.

Additional Information

Accreditation or Approval

South College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees at the doctorate, educational specialist, master’s, baccalaureate, and associate levels, as well as certificates. Questions about the accreditation of South College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

The South College DNP NAP is pending initial accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), and cannot enroll students in the program until COA accreditation is achieved. The address for COA is: 222 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068, Phone number: 847-655-1160, website address: www.coacrna.org.

Admission Requirements

CONSUMER INFORMATION

Amounts for tuition, fees, books, and supplies are subject to change. South College follows the required methodology provided by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the reporting of employment information for graduates. This information is compiled on an annual basis and submitted to the Commission by October 15 each year for graduates during the most recently completed reporting year (July 1-June 30). For more detailed information related to the calculation of graduate employment rates, please click here.

*The career options listed above are a small sample of potential job titles, and are not meant to be comprehensive. Students may or may not find employment in these positions. Job growth statistics are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014–2024 projections. Note that the Bureau does not publish estimates for all job titles, so in some cases these numbers are an approximation based on similar job titles.

Success at South College

David Lane, South College Success Story

Year after year, South accepts veterans to several different programs, providing them with valuable skills and education that leads to a successful civilian career. I personally benefited from this as it helped shape me into a leader as a Naval Officer and medical provider.

- David Lane, Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Audrey Sherles

While I was looking at programs, South College’s DPT program had a unique atmosphere and was a program that was challenging the traditional brick and mortar DPT education model. It was something I wanted to be a part of, and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from the top PTs and educators in the country.

- Audrey Sherles, Doctor of Physical Therapy
Samantha Williams

I really enjoy that most classes are not straight reading from a book, listening to PowerPoint presentations, taking a test and then moving to the next chapter. The instructors take the time to have class discussions and incorporate real world examples. To me, this makes the material more interesting and puts what I am learning into a better perspective.

- Samantha Williams, Master of Business Administration
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