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

Nursing Students SRNA

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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?

Why do they have to come out with a four year program for CRNA? CRNA is already a specialty. They trained you for that only. I can understand DNP but not DCRNA.

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I'm just wondering what tangible benefits there are to pursuing a Doctorate vs a Master's for CRNA.:bowingpur

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Threads merged.

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is there any way we can move this thread to a pre-crna forum? this is an uneducated and misleading thread topic. i think this forum should not be dominated by questions that are ultimately of a pre-crna nature, much less ones that have insufficient research to qualify as discussion topics.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
is there any way we can move this thread to a pre-crna forum? this is an uneducated and misleading thread topic. i think this forum should not be dominated by questions that are ultimately of a pre-crna nature, much less ones that have insufficient research to qualify as discussion topics.

Agreed, the thread does seem to be more pre-CRNA oriented. Good point.

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i hope the pay scale is going to raise...

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My understanding is that it will move from the BSN to the PhD but the program will be longer, so you are actually completing both your MSN and your PhD together. So instead of 2 1/2 to 3 years it will probably be a 5 year program. That is what one university has told me anyway.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
My understanding is that it will move from the BSN to the PhD but the program will be longer, so you are actually completing both your MSN and your PhD together. So instead of 2 1/2 to 3 years it will probably be a 5 year program. That is what one university has told me anyway.

Where do you guys find this stuff? These programs will grant a DNP/DNAP not a PhD (totally different programs). Nurse anesthesia programs are already longer than most MSN programs (you can usually finish an MSN/non anesthesia program in two years of full time study), so the talk among the nurse anesthesia faculty is that the the total time will increase another 6-12 months over what they are already doing. The total time to go from your BSN to DNP/DNAP is probably going to be around 36-48months max. My anesthesia program is considering 36 months total, and the average will probably be around 36-42months at all nurse anesthesia programs.

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Where do you guys find this stuff? These programs will grant a DNP/DNAP not a PhD (totally different programs). Nurse anesthesia programs are already longer than most MSN programs (you can usually finish an MSN/non anesthesia program in two years of full time study), so the talk among the nurse anesthesia faculty is that the the total time will increase another 6-12 months over what they are already doing. The total time to go from your BSN to DNP/DNAP is probably going to be around 36-48months max. My anesthesia program is considering 36 months total, and the average will probably be around 36-42months at all nurse anesthesia programs.

Merely semantics my friend. It is still a doctorate, no matter what you call it. Sorry if I didn't quote the correct terminology. No matter, I received this info from a university that is planning their program as we speak. I'm actually glad to hear that there are univ.'s such as yours that are planning shorter programs. That's great news. The DNAP program that I am planning to apply to is actually mainly online and is 3 years FT. Of course, it is a post-masters so it doesn't count for purposes of this discussion.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Merely semantics my friend. It is still a doctorate, no matter what you call it. Sorry if I didn't quote the correct terminology. No matter, I received this info from a university that is planning their program as we speak. I'm actually glad to hear that there are univ.'s such as yours that are planning shorter programs. That's great news. The DNAP program that I am planning to apply to is actually mainly online and is 3 years FT. Of course, it is a post-masters so it doesn't count for purposes of this discussion.

The problem is wide spread a lot of nurses don't understand the differences between DNP & PhD. A PhD is a research degree with a dissertation. A DNP is a practice degree, and there is no dissertation. That is oversimplifying it a bit.

As far as your program adding 3 yrs after a post-masters degree...I would run from that program as fast as I could after my Masters. You can do a google search and find 1-2yr full time DNP programs a plenty right now. VCU's DNAP program is one-year of full time study, and it is the #1 rated CRNA school. http://www.pubapps.vcu.edu/bulletins/prog_search/?did=20573&iid=31042.

Good Luck in school! I am at USUHS. Which school are you heading to?

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Texas Christian Univ. start 8-08

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Merely semantics my friend. It is still a doctorate, no matter what you call it. Sorry if I didn't quote the correct terminology. No matter, I received this info from a university that is planning their program as we speak. I'm actually glad to hear that there are univ.'s such as yours that are planning shorter programs. That's great news. The DNAP program that I am planning to apply to is actually mainly online and is 3 years FT. Of course, it is a post-masters so it doesn't count for purposes of this discussion.

There may be more misinformation in this thread than any other I've read in this forum. First of all, there is a huge difference between a clinical doctorate (such as a DNP) and a research doctorate (such as a PhD). It's WAY more than just semantics. I have some experience with TCU's program, so I am a little more familiar with their process. That program will continue to offer an MSNA (59 didactic hours) for the foreseeable future. At the end of 28 months, you will graduate with a master's degree, be eligible for board certification, and can obtain employment as a nurse anesthestist. Once certified, you will most likely be grandfathered through any future entry level educational requirements. That was the case when programs migrated from certificate/bachelor's preparation to master's degrees as the minimum entry level. TCU already has a free standing DNP track for CRNAs and other master's prepared nurse practitioners who want to return for that education. If you are a CRNA, this additional track consists of 18 classroom hours and 6 hours of an advanced clinical project. The 18 hours can be done in one year, taking 2 courses each in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Nurse practitioners who are not CRNAs have to complete 6 additional hours of clinical practicum along with the 18 class hours and 6 hours of project. Now, as far as time committment...current programs are in the range of 28 to 30 months; some as low as 24 months, some as many as 36. Clinical doctorates will average about 36 months from start to finish, so when programs drop the master's tracks and adopt the DNP as a preparatory degree for practice, you can expect all programs to expand to approximately 36 months. There is no way TCU or any other program will be able to sustain a 5 year degree plan, nor would they want to. Feel free to check the website: www.harriscollege.tcu.edu for additional info.

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