In accord with the council on accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia program standards, applicants will have demonstrated clinical critical care experience that meets the following criteria:
- Applicants to the DNP-NA program will possess a minimum of two years (post-orientation) full-time experience working with the most critically ill patients.
- A minimum of two years current full-time critical care experience where the registered professional nurse has direct patient care and manages invasive hemodynamic monitors (such as pulmonary artery catheter; CVP; arterial), cardiac assist devices, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive drips (such as norepinephrine, epinephrine; dobutamine; nicardipine; nitroglycerine).
- Experience as a registered professional nurse in critical care nursing (ICU) based within the US or its military bases, in which the applicant has had the opportunity to develop independent decision-making, demonstrate psychomotor skills, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring based on knowledge of physiologic and pharmacologic principles.
- Preferred areas of practice include: SICU (Surgical Intensive Care), MICU (Medical Intensive Care), CVICU (Cardiovascular Intensive Care), Coronary Intensive Care, PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and a Level I Emergency/Trauma Unit are also acceptable. Other areas may be considered provided competence can be demonstrated with invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.
The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs defines a critical care setting:
Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories or a US military hospital outside of the United States. During this experience, the registered professional nurse has developed critical decision making and psychomotor skills, competency in patient assessment, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. A critical care area is defined as one where, on a routine basis, the registered professional nurse manages one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (e.g., pulmonary artery, central venous pressure, and arterial catheters), cardiac assist devices, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive infusions. Examples of critical care units may include but are not limited to: surgical intensive care, cardiothoracic intensive care, coronary intensive care, medical intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and neonatal intensive care. Those who have experiences in other areas may be considered provided they can demonstrate competence with managing unstable patients, invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.
- The Nurse Anesthesia program requires that all applicants must be able to meet the technical standards for admission, progression and graduation. Review the Technical Standards for Nurse Anesthesia.
- Completion of the Drexel DNP-NA Shadowing Form, which is available on the CNHP website, demonstrating completion of a shadowing experience with a qualified anesthesia provider. A qualified anesthesia provider that may submit the shadowing form must be a CRNA or a Physician Anesthesiologist.