The DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program is a full-time curriculum plan over 36 months (12 quarters). The first five quarters consist of didactic content delivered in a hybrid manner, blending on-campus intensive instruction with synchronous and asynchronous distance education. Part-time clinical rotations are integrated in quarters 6 – 8, gradually increasing to full-time clinical residency which occurs in quarters 9 – 12. The program confers a DNP degree upon successful completion of all course work.
Curriculum
The DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP) delivers a contemporary and evidence-based curriculum using faculty and contributors that are expert educators, clinicians, researchers, and leaders in the profession. Faculty are chosen that have experience with both in-person and distance education best practices. They facilitate student learning and professional growth with student-centered active learning experiences, modeled clinical and scholarly excellence and steadfast professionalism. Using a blended learning model, our curriculum combines the best aspects of online learning activities and interactions, hands-on skills lab and high-fidelity simulation sessions, and collaborative clinical education experiences into an innovative and dynamic learning experience. Students will be prepared as doctorally prepared well-rounded clinicians who will be able to enter full-service anesthesia delivery models upon graduation.
Our program outcomes are geared towards all the essential competencies needed for the doctorally prepared advanced practice nurse (APRN) specializing in nurse anesthesiology. As patient needs have become ever more diverse and complex, the skills and knowledge of APRNs is essential in providing high-quality comprehensive patient care, including along the entire spectrum of peri-anesthesia care. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have established the core competencies which meet the established essentials of doctoral nursing practice, upon which our curriculum is founded. Additionally, the Graduate Standards set by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) are a complimentary set of didactic and clinical core competencies that serve as terminal outcomes for South College to accomplish during their education. Below are our DNP NAP outcomes, correlated to accreditation standards from the AACN and the COA.
DNP Program Outcome | AACN DNP Essentials COA Graduate Standrads |
---|---|
1. Synthesize scientific evidence and methods to design, direct, and evaluate strategies to promote and provide effective patient-centered care. | AACN: Essential I, III COA: Perianesthesia (D.1-D.12) Critical Thinking (D.13-D.24) |
2. Incorporate leadership skills and interprofessional team building strategies to improve quality metrics within healthcare systems, organizations, and diverse practice settings. | AACN: Essential I, II COA: Leadership (D.31-D.32) Communication (D.25-D.30) |
3. Employ information systems and technology in the delivery of transformation healthcare. | AACN: Essential IV COA: Patient Safety (D.1-D.4) Communication (D.25-D.30) |
4. Advocate for evidence-based health policy to improve local, national, and/or global patient and health population outcomes. | AACN: Essential V COA: Professional Role (D.33-D.51) |
5. Utilize effective interprofessional communication and collaborative skills to facilitate improvement in population health. | AACN: Essential VI COA: Communication (D.25-D.30) |
6. Apply advanced levels of clinical judgement and systems thinking in designing, delivering, and evaluating evidence-based care for clinical treatment, clinical prevention, and improvement of population health. | AACN: Essential VII, VIII COA: All Graduate Standards (D.1-D.51) |
The South College DNP NAP is a rigorous curriculum delivered in an innovative and flexible hybrid manner. As stated above, the didactic portions of the program will be delivered via a combination of quality distance education and in-person on-campus intensive learning sessions that are mandatory. Faculty will be employed that are both content experts and skilled in distance education pedagogy. However, nearly each quarter until program year three, students will also come together at the Parkside Learning Site in Knoxville, TN for these face-to-face sessions focusing on instruction in complex lecture topics/skills labs/simulation training. Importantly, it will not be required for students to physically relocate for the front-loaded didactic portion of the program, consisting of slightly more than one year of study.
The DNP NAP will have an academic calendar unique to the program needs. Didactic courses will be 11 weeks in length, inclusive of any intensive sessions. During the front-loaded didactic portion of the program (quarters 1 – 5) there will be two-week breaks between each quarter. Clinical courses are 12 weeks long. During quarters that have both didactic and clinical courses (quarters 6 – 12), courses will start on the same date, but didactic courses will end one week earlier than clinical courses. During the clinical portion of the curriculum, there will be one-week breaks observed between each quarter. Below you will find a sample academic calendar for Year One of the program, beginning January 2022.
Winter Quarter – 2022
Quarter begins – 1st Day of Classes | Jan 3, 2022 |
Q1 Intensive (NSG 7110) | Jan 3 – Jan 7, 2022 |
Last Date to Add/Drop Courses | Jan 10, 2022 |
Holiday – Martin Luther King Jr Day | *Jan 17, 2022 |
Last Date to Withdrawal with W Grade | Feb 18, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Didactic Courses | Mar 18, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Clinical Practicum Courses | Mar 25, 2022 |
Spring Quarter – 2022
Quarter begins – 1st Day of Classes | Apr 4, 2022 |
Last Date to Add/Drop Courses | Apr 11, 2022 |
Last Date to Withdrawal with W Grade | May 20, 2022 |
Holiday – Memorial Day | *May 30, 2022 |
Q2 Intensive (NSG 5341NA) | June 13 – June 17, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Didactic Courses | June 17, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Clinical Practicum Courses | June 24, 2022 |
Summer Quarter – 2022
Holiday – Independence Day | *July 4, 2022 |
Quarter Begins – 1st Day of Classes | July 5, 2022 |
Last Date to Add/Drop Courses | July 12, 2022 |
Last Date to Withdrawal with W Grade | August 19, 2022 |
Holiday – Labor Day | *Sept 5, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Didactic Courses | Sept 16, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Clinical Practicum Courses | Sept 23, 2022 |
Fall Quarter – 2022
Quarter Begins – 1st Day of Classes | Oct 3, 2022 |
Last Date to Add/Drop Courses | Oct 10, 2022 |
Q4 Intensive (NSG 7430) | Oct 17 – Oct 20, 2022 |
Last Date to Withdrawal with W Grade | Nov 18, 2022 |
Holiday – Thanksgiving Break | Nov 23 – Nov 25, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Didactic Courses | Dev 16, 2022 |
Quarter Ends – Clinical Practicum Courses | Dec 23, 2022 |
*Holidays for students on clinical rotations are determined by clinical sites*
Sample Curriculum Plan
The curriculum dashboard below displays the sample curriculum plan across the entire three years of the program. Courses in red font are didactic courses. Courses in black font are didactic courses with an on-campus intensive session associated with the course. Intensive sessions will typically consist of 3-5 days on campus with in-person instruction via lecture, problem-based learning, skills training and high-fidelity simulation. Courses in blue font are clinical courses.
Program Year One
-
Quarter 1 (Winter)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 6110 DNP Role & Interprofessional Education 4 NSG 7110 Advanced Anatomy & Physiology 4 NSG 6130 Statistics (Biostats/Epidemiology) 4 NSG 6310 Organizational Leadership 4 Total Credits 16 -
Quarter 2 (Spring)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 6210 Advanced Research 4 NSG 6220 Healthcare Informatics 4 NSG 5340NA
NSG 5341NA **Health Assessment
Health Assessment Practicum (Use of US skills in diagnostic assessment)3
1NSG 5140 Advanced Pathophysiology 4 Total Credits 16 -
Quarter 3 (Summer)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 6230NA Population Health & Emerging Disease 4 NSG 6320 Quality Improvement and Evaluation 4 NSG 6120NA Advanced Theory: Translational Research and Scholarly Writing 4 NSG 7331 Pharmacology I for NA 3 Total Credits 15 -
Quarter 4 (Fall)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 6410 Healthcare Policy 4 NSG 7410 Bioscience for NA (Medicinal Chemistry & Physics) 3 NSG 7430 ** Applied Neurobiology (Beginning hands-on US Skills training) 4 NSG 7332 Pharmacology II for NA 3 Total Credits 14
Program Year Two
-
Quarter 5 (Winter)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7333 Pharmacology III for NA 3 NSG 7520 Professional Aspects NA w/Wellness /ChemDepend 2 NSG 7521 ** NA Principles & Practice I 5 NSG 6801 Project Seminar 1 Total Credits 11 -
Quarter 6 (Spring)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7621 Clinical Practicum I 7 NSG 7522 ** NA Principles & Practice II 4 NSG 6801 Project Seminar 1 Total Credits 12 -
Quarter 7 (Summer)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7622 Clinical Practicum II 11 NSG 7523 ** NA Principles & Practice III 4 NSG 6802 Project Seminar 1 Total Credits 16 -
Quarter 8 (Fall)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7623 Clinical Practicum III 11 NSG 7524 ** NA Principles & Practice IV (POCUS/ US use for Regional & Neuraxial Anesthesia) 4 NSG 6803 Project Seminar 1 Total Credits 16
Program Year Three
-
Quarter 9 (Winter)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7624 Clinical Practicum IV 15 NSG 6804 DNP Project Seminar 1 NSG 7930 ** Senior Anesthesia Seminar (Business of Anesthesia) Crisis Resource Simulation 2 Total Credits 18 -
Quarter 10 (Spring)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7625 Clinical Practicum V 15 NSG 6805 DNP Project Seminar 1 NSG 6900NA DNP Anesthesia Transition Seminar
NCE Review Introduction2 Total Credits 18 -
Quarter 11 (Summer)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7626 Clinical Practicum VI 15 NSG 7910 NCE Review Intensive 1 DNP Project Seminar – E
NSG 6806-E
(optional, only if needed for project completion)Total Credits 16 -
Quarter 12 (Fall)
Course Number Course Name Credits NSG 7627 Clinical Practicum VII 15 NSG 7920 ** NCE Review Intensive
(Final Simulation Comp Oral Boards)2 Total Credits 17
On-Campus Intensive Sessions
On-campus intensive sessions provide opportunities for other activities, as well as in-person didactic and simulation lab learning. This can include orientation sessions for didactics or clinical rotations, 1:1 advising sessions, collaboration with classmates on scholarly projects, student peer mentoring, interprofessional activities with other South College students and faculty, and various other opportunities. The following three sample dashboards display the plan of intensive session activities during each year of the program, as well as the advising plan. Sessions with an advisor can always be scheduled outside of regularly planned sessions as needed.
Program Year 1 (A1)
-
Quarter 1 (Winter)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • DNP Role and IPE
• Advanced A&P
• Statistics
• Leadership• Week 1 – Program Orientation/ White Coat Ceremony
• Peer Mentor Introduction
• Advising Sessions
• Intensive Lectures/ Anatomy Lab, DITKI
– pulmonary and cardiac physiology• Week 1 (on-ground)
• Week 7 (virtual) -
Quarter 2 (Spring)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • Research
• Informatics
• Health Assement
• Advanced Patho• Week 11 – Health Assement Practicum Preop Evaluation
• CXR/EKG evaluation sessions
• Intro to diagnostic POCUS
• Advising Sessions• Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 6 (virtual)
• Week 11 (on-ground) -
Quarter 3 (Summer)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • Pop Health
• QI & Evaluation
• Translational Research & Scholarly Writing
• Pharm for NA I• No on-ground intensive • Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 7 (virtual) -
Quarter 4 (Fall)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • Policy
• Bioscience
• Applied Neurobiology
• Pharm for NA II• Week 3 – Neurobiology/US Intensive lectures and bioscience applicatoins
• Neuroanatomy Lab, DITKI, sim lab • Beginning hands-on US skills
• Advising Sessions• Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 3 (on-ground)
• Week 7 (virtual)
Program Year 2 (A2)
-
Quarter 5 (Winter)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • Prof. Aspects
• NA P&P I
• DNP Project I
• Pharm for NA III• Week 1 – Basic airway, anesthesia setup and induction sequencing intro
• Week 11 – Induction sequencing simulation comprehensive
• Clinical Orientation
• Advising sessions
• SRNA2 Evaluations• Week 1 (on-ground)
• Week 6 (virtual)
• Week 11 (on-ground) -
Quarter 6 (Spring)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • NA P&P II
• Clinical Practice I• Week 5 – Sim Lab: Advanced airway, maintenance
& emergence, invasive monitoring, out-of-OR anesthesia
• Advising sessions• Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 5 (on-ground)
• Week 9 (virtual) -
Quarter 7 (Summer)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • NA P&P III
• Clinical Practice II
• DNP Project II• Week 5 – Sim Lab: Peds Regional, OB Regional,
OB GETA OB emergenscies
• Advising sessions• Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 5 (on-ground)
• Week 9 (virtual) -
Quarter 8 (Fall)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • NA P&P IV
• Clinical Practice III
• DNP Project III• Week 5 – Sim Lab: Noninvasive HD monitoring
• Vendor Ultrasound Workshop
• Advising sessions
• Schedule SEE for beginning of quarter 10• Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 5 (on-ground)
• Week 9 (virtual)
Program Year 3 (A3)
-
Quarter 9 (Winter)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • Senior Seminar
• Clinical Practice IV
• DNP Project IV• Week 7 – Sim Lab: Crisis Management;
Business of anesthesia lectures
• SRNA3 evaluations
• Advising sessions• Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 7 (on-ground) -
Quarter 10 (Spring)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • Transition Seminar
• Clinical Practice V
• DNP Project V• No on-ground intensive • Week 1 (virtual)
• SEE administration
• Week 7 (virtual) -
Quarter 11 (Summer)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • NCE Review I
• Clinical Practice VI• No on-ground intensive • Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 7 (virtual) -
Quarter 12 (Fall)
Courses On-Ground Intensives Advising • NCE Review II
• Clinical Practice VI• Week 12 – Final simulation intensive
• Comprehensive oral boards• Week 1 (virtual)
• Week 7 (virtual)
• Week 12 (on-ground)
Clinical Curriculum
Clinical education will occur in regional clinical satellite campuses, distributed nationally. The rotations will be designed so that within each regional clinical satellite, where a student can acquire the entire spectrum of case minimums needed for board eligibility after graduation. Each regional collection of clinical rotations will function as essentially a satellite clinical campus. Clinical education at South College provides students with exposure to a variety of anesthesia practice settings and a wide range of patient populations across the lifespan. Clinical practicum courses begin during program year two (quarters 6-8) in a part-time capacity and increase to full-time clinical immersion during program year three (quarters 9-12). Throughout the clinical practicum series, students are integrated into clinical settings as they learn to function as doctoral prepared CRNAs and deliver holistic, evidence-based anesthesia care.
Clinical education experiences provide students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to clinical situations under the direct supervision and guidance of credentialed clinical preceptors. In clinical learning environments students develop safe and effective skills in all aspects of anesthesia care while also developing the ability to work as part of, and lead, a healthcare
team.
What makes our clinical education program different?
- South College has cultivated relationships with clinical affiliate facilities across the country to meet the need of communities. Upon acceptance to the program, each student will be assigned to one of six clinical satellite locations based on applicant preference and availability. Our goal, if desired by the applicant, is to assign clinical rotations close to their home location to circumvent the need for relocation for the entirety of the program. Relocation will be required by the beginning of quarter six if the student lives outside of the clinical satellite location to which they are assigned. No relocation is required for the first five quarters of the program.
- Our clinical satellite campuses are situated around the nation at facilities that are invested in mentoring the next generation of CRNAs. With our hybrid distance education curriculum design, more students will be able to remain in their local communities while enjoying the benefits of a rigorous didactic, simulation, and clinical curriculum.
- Clinical faculty: Clinical faculty are an integral part of our clinical experiences for students, and so we invest in those faculty by offering mentorship and training opportunities annually and as needed to support our clinical affiliates, site coordinators, and clinical preceptors.
- It should be noted by the applicant that we will provide the clinical schedule that affords our students the most valuable, rich and true-to-life experiences, to mirror what life will be like as a graduate nurse anesthetist. This will include clinical rotations shifts of varied length and during off-hours. Call shifts and/or weekend hours will be incorporated into the senior level full-time clinical nurse anesthesia residency.
Clinical Affiliates
The South College DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program maintains exceptional relationships with clinical affiliate facilities across the nation. Clinical affiliate facilities include:
- Arizona (Tucson/Phoenix)
- Banner University Medical Center, Main Campus
- Banner University Medical Center, South Campus
- Mountain Vista Medical Center
- Tempe St. Luke’s
- Abrazo West Campus Hospital
- Georgia (Atlanta-metro Area)
- Piedmont Henry
- Piedmont Newton
- WellStar North Fulton
- Southern Regional Medical Center
- Florida (Orlando)
- AdventHealth Orlando
- Indiana (Fort Wayne and surrounding area)
- Lutheran Hospital
- The Orthopedic Hospital
- Bluffton Regional Medical Center
- Dupont Hospital
- Kosciusko Community Hospital
- Louisiana (Alexandria)
- Rapides Regional Medical Center
- Christus St. Francis Cabrini Hospital
- Christus Cabrini Surgical Center
- Texas (McAllen/Edinburg)
- Doctors Hospital at Renaissance