Anesthesia (DrAP)

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https://www.umflint.edu/graduateprograms/anesthesia-practice-drap

The Doctor of Anesthesia Practice (DrAP) program is intended to provide a post-master’s educational opportunity for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to prepare for leadership positions in a variety of aspects of the profession of nurse anesthesia. The profession encompasses more than the actual administration of anesthesia to patients; CRNAs engaged in research, education, and administration are recognized as being engaged in the practice of anesthesia. Graduates of the program will be better prepared to further develop the roles that CRNAs fill within an increasingly complex healthcare system.

Offered primarily online, the flexible 32-credit program is designed for the CRNA with an MS or MSN degree. Students take 16 credits of core courses in areas of leadership, health policy, financial management/economics, informatics, evidence-based practice, and ethics. Nine credit hours of cognates may be selected by the student from areas such as Business Administration, Education, Healthcare Systems or Advanced Pathophysiology/Pathology. The program culminates in a three-course Capstone/Research process designed to integrate the knowledge acquired from the student’s core and cognate studies.

Dual Program DrAP/MBA

For the CRNA considering a graduate-level business degree, the Anesthesia Practice/Business Administration (Dual DrAP/MBA) program allows students to earn an MBA in conjunction with the DrAP degree. This dual program allows up to 21 approved credits to apply to both programs of study.

Admission Requirements

Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. Admission decisions are made by the program admission committee in consultation with the program faculty. Applicants must satisfy the following requirements to be considered for admission:

A Master of Science degree with a focus on nurse anesthesia (Master of Science, Biology or Nursing) OR a post-masters certificate in anesthesia from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
A minimum overall graduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4-point scale (or 5.0 on a 9-point scale)
Current, unrestricted licensure as a Registered Nurse.
Current certification or recertification by the NBCRNA (or APRN if applicable)

A course in Research Methods must be completed during the 3 years immediately preceding program admission or will be required as one of the 3 cognate courses.

Time Limit for Completion

A student must complete all work toward the program within six consecutive years from the date of first admission to the program. Students may, however, request or petition for an extension of this time limit. Approval of the extension is at the discretion of the program director, in consultation with program faculty. A continued enrollment fee of $250 will be charged during any semester the student is not enrolled in any coursework or capstone course.

Transfer Credits

Up to nine (9) semester credit hours of graduate credit completed at an accredited institution may be accepted for transfer. Transfers of credit are subject to the approval of the program director. Requests for transferring additional coursework may be made by submitting a petition to the program director. The program faculty reviews petitions.

Academic Rules and Regulations

See the School of Health Professions and Studies (SHPS) and Graduate Study sections of this Catalog for additional academic rules and regulations pertaining to graduate programs offered by the School.

Requirements

A minimum of 32 credits as follows with a grade of B (3.0) or better in each course:

A. Core Courses (16 credits)

Practice Inquiry (3 credits)

ANE 730 - Evidenced-Based Practice of Nurse Anesthesia (3).

Professional Role/Leadership (3 credits)

One from:

Healthcare Improvement, Public and Social Policy (3 credits)

One from:

ANE 605 - Health Policy (3).
ANE 687 - Legal Issues in Health Care (3).
NUR 820 - Health Policy and Economics (3).
and a 1-credit elective

Technology and Informatics (2 credits)

One from:

ANE 710 - Technology and Informatics for CRNA (2).
NUR 607 - Informatics (3).

Health Systems Management (3 credits)

One from:

Ethics (1-3 credits)

ANE 720 - Ethical Issues in Nurse Anesthesia (1-3).

B. Cognates (9 credits)

Must include a graduate-level methods course specific to the student’s capstone project. Remaining cognate courses selected in consultation with advisor from specific area of interest (e.g., business, education, healthcare administration, etc.).

C. Capstone Sequence (7 credits)

Demonstrated acquisition of advanced knowledge through a project tailored to reflect scholarship in core or elective areas. The form the project assumes will be determined in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor.

ANE 801 - Capstone Project Design (3).
ANE 802 - Capstone Project Implementation (2).
ANE 803 - Capstone Analysis and Dissemination (2).

D. Additional Requirements

An overall cumulative grade point average of B or better in all required courses, with a grade of B (3.0) or better in each course.
Dissemination of the results of the capstone project. Acceptable methods of dissemination include submission for poster presentation at a state or national (preferred) level professional association meeting, submission of a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed professional journal, or oral presentation in a research/professional symposium. Other methods require the approval of the program director.
Maintained licensure as a Registered Nurse in at least one state and certification or recertification as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.