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About the Program
This seven-semester program integrates didactic and clinical instruction. The first three semesters of didactic instruction include experience in the human patient simulation lab. Students become familiar with anesthesia techniques and procedures in the lab prior to entering clinical instruction. Students administer sedation, regional and general anesthesia to pediatric and adult patients for a wide variety of surgical specialties including general surgery, orthopedics, otolaryngology, obstetrics, thoracic, vascular, cardiac and neurology. Students administer on average more than 800 anesthetics over at least 2,000 clinical hours. Graduates are eligible for the National Certification Examination required to practice as a nurse anesthetist. The program has a 100% overall national certification pass rate and over 90% first-time-taken pass rate.
Goals of the program are to prepare graduates to:
- Plan, implement and evaluate anesthesia care for patients having diagnostic, therapeutic or surgical procedures
- Collaborate with other health professionals in planning, implementing and evaluating anesthesia care
- Analyze research critically and incorporate relevant findings into clinical practice
- Work within the state to function as a leader among the health care team to ensure safe, high-quality, economical care
- Instruct patients and health care personnel on topics related to anesthesia, respiratory care, fluid therapy and physiological monitoring
For more information, call 706-721-9558 or visit www.gru.edu/nursing/futurestudents.htm
Career Opportunities
Most CRNAs are employed by hospitals, and work in a surgical environment, such as an operating room. CRNAs also may work in outpatient surgery centers and medical offices. Graduates are trained to practice as independent agents or with an independent group that provides services to hospitals and clinics.
Salary Information
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, or CRNAs, are some of the most advanced and highest paid of all nurses. The middle 50% of CRNA salaries range from $136,600 to $156,814.
Accreditation
The Master of Science in Nursing programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.aacn.nche.edu/CCNE/reports/accprog.asp).
The GRU Nurse Anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 222 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068, (847) 655-1160.
Technical Requirements
Computer literacy - A laptop is required upon enrollment. See minimum laptop specifications at http://www.gru.edu/itss/computing/hardware.html.
Admission Requirements
Completed Online Application for Graduate Programs. Please check the Office of Academic Admissions website for fee information: http://www.gru.edu/Admissions/
Application deadlines for application and required materials and documents:
Early submission of all application materials is strongly advised.
Fall entry - October 1
Note: Nursing Anesthesia does not defer admission or accept late applications. All required application material and documents must be received on or before deadline in order for an application to be considered complete and before an admission decision can be made.
GPA: Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Minimum Degree Requirement: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited program and an accredited college or university. A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree alone may fulfill the minimum degree requirement, which will be determined on a case-by-case basis. To be used to satisfy degree requirement, evaluation of foreign educational transcripts must show degree(s) earned that are the U.S. equivalency of degree(s) required by the program.
Official Transcripts: Official transcripts are required from all universities and colleges ever attended. Only in the case of transcripts from international colleges/universities will an official course-by-course transcript evaluation be accepted in lieu of an official transcript.
Official transcripts should be sent to GRU’s Office of Academic Admissions. To remain official, all transcripts must remain in the original, unopened, sealed and stamped/signed envelope from the Registrar’s office of the issuing institution. Alternatively, GRU will accept official electronic transcripts from the registrar’s office at your prior institution. Electronic transcripts should be directed to admissions@gru.edu.
Transcript/Credential Evaluation of Foreign Transcripts: An official, professional course-by-course evaluation based on official transcripts and documents is required for all foreign educational transcripts and documents from one of the following three credentials evaluation services: Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., World Education Services (WES), Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). Silny and WES are recommended. Official evaluations based on unofficial transcripts, documents, or copies will not satisfy this requirement.
References: Recommendations (which include a reference form and letter of recommendation) from three individuals are required. Referees should be individuals qualified to critically assess the applicant’s prior academic (usually college professors), employment, artistic, research and/or clinical experience (clinical or research supervisor/mentor) and qualifications (as applicable) as well as the applicant’s potential as a graduate student in the field/program selected.
Graduate reference forms and letters of recommendation can be submitted online only. As part of the online application process, applicants provide the names and current email addresses for three individuals they have asked to serve as their referees. Once the online application is submitted, each referee will receive an email notification directing him/her to the online site where he/she can complete the reference form and submit his/her letter of recommendation. To change a referee after the application has been submitted, the applicant is instructed to log into his/her CollegeNet account and update the name and current email address for the referee. Status updates of your referees’ submissions will be provided to you directly from CollegeNet.
GRE Requirement: Test takers who took the GRE prior to August 1, 2011 were scored on the old scoring scale of 200-800. The minimum score requirement of 900 total (combined Verbal and Quantitative Scores) will continue to be used for those who took the GRE prior to the scoring changes.
Test takers who took the GRE after to August 1, 2011 are scored on the new scoring scale of 130-170. The minimum score of 290 total (combined Verbal and Quantitative Scores) will be required for those who took the GRE after the scoring changes.
All official GRE scores must be submitted to GRU’s Office of Academic Admissions directly from the Education Testing Service (ETS) and must be less than five years old. The institution code for submission of GRE scores to GRU is 5406. Please do not select a department code.
TOEFL Requirement: Minimum score of 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based, or 79 internet-based.
Official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are required for applicants whose first language is not English. The institution code for submission of TOEFL scores to GRU is 5406. Please do not select a department code.
Exemption from the TOEFL requirement is allowed for graduate students who submit proof of earning a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college/university where English is the language of instruction.
Program Specific Requirements
Prerequisite course work:
Undergraduate or graduate chemistry course with a minimum grade of “B”.
Personal Interview: Interviews by invitation only. Applicants will be selected for an interview based on an initial review of submitted application materials. Selected applicants will be notified directly by the program.
Resume or CV: Including the date of most recent revision.
Essay: Included within the graduate application, applicants must submit a written component describing why you want to be a nurse anesthetist and how your previous education and experiences will enhance your ability in the program.
Licensure and Certification: Proof of unrestricted RN license from state where applicant is practicing at the time of application. Proof of current unrestricted Georgia RN license is required prior to enrollment.
Experience: Minimum of 1 year full-time critical care (Intensive Care Unit Only) RN experience within the past 3 years.
Admission Recommendations
GPA: Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
GRE: Minimum combined Verbal and Quantitative score of 1100 on GRE taken prior to August 1, 2011 and 301 total on the new scoring scale after August 1, 2011.
Experience: At least 2 years of critical care experience earned in an ICU (does not include PACU, OR, ER or telemetry step down units).
Early Submission of completed application and supporting documents (by 9/1 or before).
* Substitutions and/or waivers or minimum requirements must first be supported and approved at the program level and then formally approved by the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
* While every effort is made to maintain this information as current, it may be subject to change. Please check with GRU’s Office of Academic Admission for recent updates.
* Applicants deferred to another semester are subject to all admission requirements and program requirements in effect for the semester to which they are deferred.
How to Apply
Apply online at www.gru.edu/Admissions.
For more information on this program, visit www.gru.edu/nursing/futurestudents.htm.
Office of Academic Admissions
170 Kelly Building–Administration
Georgia Health Sciences University
Augusta, Georgia 30912
Telephone: 706-721-2725
Toll free: 800-519-3388
Fax: 706-721-7279
E-mail: Admissions@gru.edu
For more information about health related career opportunities, visit www.gru.edu/Admissions
Estimated Tuition and Fees
For estimated tuition and fees, please see the Financial Information section of this catalog.
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