KU Nurse Anesthesia Program

The nurse anesthesia program at KU is a comprehensive 36-month program in which registered nurses receive extensive education in both the academic and clinical components of nurse anesthesia. Founded in 1966, KU's nurse anesthesia program has produced a consistently high level of outstanding clinicians, educators and leaders in the profession.

Currently in the process of converting from a Master of Science degree to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, the Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education will be submitting a request for approval of this change to our accrediting organization, the Council on Accreditation (COA), for approval at their May 2012 meeting. Applicants who submit applications in 2012 will start the program in June 2013. We anticipate that the program will be a DNP program at that time. The DNP entry-to-practice program will still be a 36-month program and we do not expect any changes to the admissions requirements.

The program draws upon the extraordinary academic and clinical resources offered by the University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Hospital, along with a variety of outstanding clinical affiliate sites to enhance the student's learning opportunities. By the end of the program, students will have learned to administer anesthesia to all patient populations in a variety of clinical settings using all current anesthesia techniques. Graduates from the program will be able to function independently or in a group-practice setting.

The KU Nurse Anesthesia program is one of only two nurse anesthesia programs based in the state of Kansas and plays a vital role in ensuring anesthesia care is available across the state, especially in rural areas. CRNAs make up 70% of all anesthesia providers in Kansas and 83 percent of the hospitals in Kansas rely exclusively on CRNAs for anesthesia care.

Nurse anesthesia is one of many academic programs of the KU School of Health Professions and is located on the campus of the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. The KU Medical Center is one of several branches of the University of Kansas main campus in Lawrence, Kan.

There are many reasons to choose
KU's Nurse Anesthesia program

Reasonable Cost and a Great Location

• Located at KU Medical Center, the program resides at a large urban academic medical center with a substantial commitment to medical research and education. KUMC has been ranked fifth among academic medical centers nationwide by the University HealthSystem Consortium.
• The University of Kansas Hospital is a nationally accredited Level I trauma center and the only Level I Burn Center in the area certified by the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association.
• A beautiful Midwestern city, Kansas City is centrally located and easily accessible, boasts a reasonable cost of living and provides a wide range of excellent educational and cultural opportunities.

Exceptional Clinical Opportunities

• Students have access to a wealth of cases at both The University of Kansas Hospital and a variety of affiliate clinical sites.
• With over 18,000 cases per year, the clinical experience provides challenging and diverse preparation for a smooth transition to the workplace.See a chart of cases by KU graduates compared against COA requirements.
• Graduates of the program are fully prepared for independent practice, as attested to by graduates.

Learn from the Best

• Seven full-time CRNA faculty, who each have well over 10 years experience as nurse anesthetists, serve as advisors, teach classes and supervise students in the clinical setting.
• Thirty-seven anesthesiologists at The University of Kansas Hospital provide advanced clinical instruction. The speciality areas in which KU anesthesiologists have completed fellowships is diverse and impressive.
  
• An additional 41 adjunct faculty at affiliate sites provide invaluable clinical instruction.
• Curriculum design allows integration of theory and clinical practice.
• High first-time pass rate on national certifying exam.

What Our Graduates Say

• The experiences that I received ... have made the transition into the real world very easy. My coworkers ask me for advice about the hearts because almost all their programs didn't provide a solid CV experience ..."
  – More from our former students

11 great reasons to choose KU's nurse anesthesia program