The Future: You Must have a Masters to Apply to a Nurse Anesthesia Program??!!

Nursing Students SRNA

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Specializes in ICU.

I searched CRNA on Wikipedia, and found this quote:

"Currently, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has endorsed a position statement that will move the current entry level of training for nurse anesthetists in the United States to the Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP). This move will affect all advance practice nurses, with the proposed implementation by the year 2015. The AANA announced in August 2007 support of this advanced clinical degree as an entry level for all nurse anesthetists, but with a target date of 2025. This will increase the time in training, but refine clinical decision-making through research utilization and science-based practice. In accordance with traditional grandfathering rules, all those in current practice will not be affected."

So, if I'm interpreting this correctly, you can apply for Nurse anesthesia school only after you have your masters, and you'll graduate with a Doctor in Nursing practice when you're done.

I know anybody can post anything on Wikipedia, so I was wondering if anyone else heard anything like this. I searched the AANA website a little, and couldn't find anything to this effect.

What do you think?

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I searched CRNA on Wikipedia, and found this quote:

"Currently, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has endorsed a position statement that will move the current entry level of training for nurse anesthetists in the United States to the Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP). This move will affect all advance practice nurses, with the proposed implementation by the year 2015. The AANA announced in August 2007 support of this advanced clinical degree as an entry level for all nurse anesthetists, but with a target date of 2025. This will increase the time in training, but refine clinical decision-making through research utilization and science-based practice. In accordance with traditional grandfathering rules, all those in current practice will not be affected."

So, if I'm interpreting this correctly, you can apply for Nurse anesthesia school only after you have your masters, and you'll graduate with a Doctor in Nursing practice when you're done.

I know anybody can post anything on Wikipedia, so I was wondering if anyone else heard anything like this. I searched the AANA website a little, and couldn't find anything to this effect.

What do you think?

I think you need to learn some facts from a source besides wikipedia.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I searched CRNA on Wikipedia, and found this quote:

"Currently, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has endorsed a position statement that will move the current entry level of training for nurse anesthetists in the United States to the Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP). This move will affect all advance practice nurses, with the proposed implementation by the year 2015. The AANA announced in August 2007 support of this advanced clinical degree as an entry level for all nurse anesthetists, but with a target date of 2025. This will increase the time in training, but refine clinical decision-making through research utilization and science-based practice. In accordance with traditional grandfathering rules, all those in current practice will not be affected."

So, if I'm interpreting this correctly, you can apply for Nurse anesthesia school only after you have your masters, and you'll graduate with a Doctor in Nursing practice when you're done.

I know anybody can post anything on Wikipedia, so I was wondering if anyone else heard anything like this. I searched the AANA website a little, and couldn't find anything to this effect.

What do you think?

"Park Ridge, Ill.—Two years after convening a high-level summit meeting and appointing a task force to thoroughly explore interests and concerns surrounding doctoral preparation of nurse anesthetists, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) has announced its support of doctoral education for entry into nurse anesthesia practice by 2025."

http://aanadc.com/news.aspx?ucNavMenu_TSMenuTargetID=171&ucNavMenu_TSMenuTargetType=4&ucNavMenu_TSMenuID=6&id=9678

My understanding is that this will be a direct entry doctorate program like med school, pharmacy school etc. It will go directly from a Bachelor's degree to the DNP/DNAP.

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Specializes in ICU, Emergency Department.

Nurse Anesthesia is tough stuff, and a heck of a lot of responsiblity. I see no problem with having to have a doctorate in nursing to be a Nurse Anesthetist, especially after observing a nurse anesthetist in the OR for a week.

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To my knowledge, you won't need a masters to get in. You will just graduate with a doctorate, kind of like what they're proposing with NPs. (And like how PharmD, DPT, etc already are.)

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Although most existing DNPs are now offering "completion" programs for people with MSNs, the longer-term idea is that if (big if) the DNP-entry-level-for-advanced-practice requirement becomes official, the MSN programs will be eliminated, and one will go into a DNP program with a baccalaureate degree.

Same as you don't have to get a Master's before you go to med school or law school -- just BA/BSN --> MD or JD. Lots of professions work this way.

(Having said that, I don't support the whole DNP-requirement proposal). (Not that anyone cares what I think ... :chuckle)

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UT Memphis is one of the colleges participating in this plan. They will phase out their BSN program in 2010.

From their website:

2. Will there be a BSN program in the 2010 plan?

No, there will not be a BSN program. We will transition our current professional entry-level baccalaureate (BSN) program to a professional entry-level master's (MSN) program and will also eventually have an advanced practice entry-level doctoral program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

25. Will all Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) have to get a DNP?

A position paper issued by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in October 2004 recommends that all APN programs be in DNP programs by 2015. This does not mean all nurses currently practicing as APNs have a DNP, but rather, programs educating individuals for advanced practice roles in the future should be in DNP programs. The transition of our master's- APN options into our DNP program is consistent with this recommendation.

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I think that sounds like a safer idea (& the pay will go up)...

can't imagine being a CRNA must have nerves of steel! : )

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I think that sounds like a safer idea (& the pay will go up)...

Why would it be safer, and why would the pay go up?

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Having seen what goes into a DNP so far I am not impressed, will have to see if any clinically based DNP come out, that I can support. Not any feel good nursing theory doctorate.

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Specializes in TELE / ER/PACU/ICU.

Watch for the sarcasm...

Sounds like a great idea. Why not add more theory and a few more acronyms behind our name. I recommend axing patho in favor of an additional theory course.

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Specializes in icu/er.

lord i pray i get into a program before all this stuff is impletmented..the last thing i want to do is to waste time and money to get a masters instead of concentrating on the original goal of becoming a crna.

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