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 practicum courses; abundant and diverse clinical experiences are available to program residents to ensure graduates are ready to enter practice.
Residents 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. Residents are assigned to a regional clinical cohort in one of six regional clinical satellite campuses upon admission into the program:
Arizona (Phoenix/Tucson)
Georgia (Atlanta)
Florida (Orlando)
Indiana (Fort Wayne)
Louisiana (Alexandria)
Maine (Bangor)
Ohio (Cincinnati)
Ohio (Dayton)
Tennessee (Oak Ridge/Knoxville)
Texas (McAllen/Edinburg)
To facilitate clinical learning and for consistency with clinical educator oversight, residents will be required to relocate prior to the beginning, 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.
As you work toward your future professional goals, review the related information at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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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 residents 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 certified as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) demonstrates a commitment to the field of critical care nursing. Nurse anesthesia school is highly competitive and full-time, with no part-time option. It is strongly discouraged 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, residents must be dedicated to excellence, 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 residents from other South College School of Nursing programs, the Physician Assistant program, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and the School of Pharmacy.
Already Hold a DNP in Another Role Specialty?
The Nurse Anesthesia Program offers a Post-Doctoral Certificate (PDC) in Nurse Anesthesia for existing DNP holders in an alternate role specialty. The PDC curriculum offers advanced standing in up to five courses, following transcript and syllabus review by program administration. The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs requires the post-doctoral certificate curriculum to be substantially equivalent to the BSN-entry curriculum. Subsequently, the PDC curriculum remains 36 months in length and requires the completion of a doctoral scholarly project with an anesthesia focus.
DOCTOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING, POST-GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING, BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING, ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE IN NURSING, CERTIFICATE IN PRACTICAL NURSING
State Authorization (Asheville, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Nashville, Orlando, & Pittsburgh)
The South College Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered at the Parkside Learning Site (Knoxville) received initial approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing in December 2003, with full approval granted in September 2008. Approval for the addition of the Nashville Learning Site was granted in November 2016. The Master of Science in Nursing program received approval in November 2016. The Doctor of Nursing Practice program received approval in February 2020. The Post-Graduate Certificate programs received approval in August 2021. The South College Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered at the Asheville Learning Site received initial approval from the North Carolina Board of Nursing in February 2016, with full approval granted in May 2019. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered at the Atlanta Learning Site received initial approval from the Georgia Board of Nursing in September 2018. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered at the Orlando Learning Site received initial approval from the Florida Board of Nursing in November 2021. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered at the Indianapolis campus received initial approval from the Indiana Board of Nursing in July 2022. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered at the Pittsburgh campus received initial approval from the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing in April 2023.
The South College Associate of Science in Nursing program (Knoxville & Nashville Learning Site) was approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing in November 2022. The Associate of Science in Nursing program offered at the Orlando Learning Site was approved by the Florida Board of Nursing in January 2023. The Associate of Science in Nursing program offered at the Atlanta Learning Site was approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing in March 2023. The Associate of Science in Nursing program offered at the Pittsburgh Learning Site was approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing in November 2023.
The South College Certificate program in Practical Nursing offered at the Parkside Learning Site (Knoxville) received approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing in February 2018. Approval for the addition of the Nashville Learning Site was granted in November 2018. The Certificate program in Practical Nursing was approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing for the Atlanta Learning Site in May 2019 to begin the first class in June 2020. The Certificate program in Practical Nursing was approved by the Florida Board of Nursing for the Orlando Learning Site in November 2021. The Certificate program in Practical Nursing was approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing for the Pittsburgh Learning Site in March 2023. The Certificate program in Practical Nursing was approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing for the Asheville Learning Site in May 2023. The Certificate program in Practical Nursing at the Indianapolis campus received initial approval from the Indiana Board of Nursing in July 2023.
Programmatic Accreditation
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Post-Graduate APRN Certificate programs offered at South College are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791 (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
The South College DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program was granted initial accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) effective October 13, 2021. The address for COA is: 10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906, Rosemont, IL 60018-5603, Phone number: 224-275-9130, website address: www.coacrna.org. Additionally, during the same October 2021 accreditation meeting, the COA granted the following two items for the South College DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program: (1) Approval of Distance Education Courses, and (2) Approval of Waiver of Graduate Degree Requirement.
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 published via the institution website 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.
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
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
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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