Nurse Anesthesia, DNP
Program Details
- Location
- Akron Campus
- Level
- graduate
- Academic Pathway
- major
- Degree/Program Type
- DNP Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Format
- In-person
- Course Info
- Curriculum Guide
- College
- Health and Human Sciences, College of (Dean's Office)
- School/Department
- School of Nursing
Program Contact
- Susan Bradford
-
Student Services Counselor
330-972-7555
Overview
The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia at The University of Akron prepares critical care registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in 36 months. The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, and graduates are eligible for the National Certification Examination. Doctoral preparation and completion of the DNP project educate the practitioner to incorporate evidence-based practices into their daily anesthetic care. Graduates are prepared to implement research findings into their professional practice as nurse anesthesia caregivers, educators, and healthcare leaders.
The plan of study blends mostly online coursework with simulation and extensive clinical experience. You learn how to provide anesthesia care for patients of every age and in every setting. We currently have over 50 clinical sites throughout the state of Ohio providing a wide range of clinical experiences. Student cohorts are primarily located in the Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo areas.
Admission is highly competitive. You need at least a BSN from an accredited nursing program, a minimum 3.4 GPA in all prior nursing courses with a 3.0 GPA in the first attempt at all required science prerequisites, CCRN certification, and at least one year of current adult critical care experience. If you do not have that year yet, the section below tells you what counts and what does not, so you can plan the next twelve months instead of guessing.
You finish with a doctorate, CRNA eligibility, and a profession where the federal median salary passed $212,000 in 2024.
Admissions Requirements
Getting in
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible:
Graduate of a CCNE or NLN-accredited baccalaureate nursing program.
BSN degree (must include min. of 3 hrs. of chemistry, 6 hours of anatomy & physiology, and 3 hrs. of microbiology).
Current unencumbered RN Ohio Board of Nursing license. In addition, an applicant must not have had a previous revocation, denial, suspension, or license restriction from any state or country.
Transcripts of all College/University undergraduate coursework. A minimum of a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent) for all nursing degrees and science grades are required for admission. (Also, it is essential to highlight that any future undergraduate or graduate courses will not be considered in the computation of the overall GPA or incorporated into the original academic history. Taking extra classes will not impact your prior academic record, and the grades obtained in these additional classes will not be considered for your admission.)
A minimum of one year of current adult critical care experience before the interview.
Current experience is defined as one consecutive year of adult critical care nursing.
What does not count toward the year:Operating room
Labor and delivery
Step down telemetry
Neonatal ICU
Emergency room
Post anesthesia care unit
Cath lab
Observe a CRNA for a minimum of 16 hours (see Observation Form).
Current ACLS certification (this must be maintained throughout the program).
CCRN certification (Score Report Required).
Essay, a 300-word position paper describing your professional goals, purpose in seeking graduate education, and why The University of Akron Nurse Anesthesia Program.
Resume outlining educational and employment experiences, professional organization memberships, licenses, scholarly activity, awards, and community involvement. Resume Template must be used (see Resume Template).
References from three individuals who can attest to the applicant's clinical and academic skills and potential:
Current nursing supervisor
A member of the nursing profession who can attest to the applicant's scholarly abilities.
A former college or school faculty member (or a second nursing supervisor if out of school for more than three years)
The University of Akron Graduate School Application
Use the Application Checklist as a guide to make sure your application is complete before submission.
Note: Refer to our website for a complete list of admission requirements for the Nurse Anesthesia, DNP program (see complete list of Admissions Requirements).
The program does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, age, gender, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or any factor protected by law.
Career Outcomes
You graduate eligible for the National Certification Examination and practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, one of the highest paid and most autonomous roles in nursing. Nurse anesthetists earned a median of $212,650 per year in May 2024, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job titles
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Staff CRNA, hospital anesthesia group
CRNA, outpatient and ambulatory surgery
Obstetric anesthesia CRNA
Chief CRNA / anesthesia department lead
Where you will work
Hospital operating rooms
Outpatient and ambulatory surgery centers
Obstetric units
Trauma and emergency surgery
Rural and critical access hospitals, where CRNAs are often the primary anesthesia providers
Nurse Anesthesia, DNP FAQs
All application materials must be received by June 30.
Yes. There are prerequisite undergraduate science courses including at least 3 credits of Chemistry, 6 credits of Anatomy and Physiology, and 3 credits of Microbiology to apply admission to the program. Additionally, STAT 661 Stats for Life Sciences or an equivalent graduate-level statistics course is required prior to matriculation in the anesthesia program.
Your science GPA should be calculated using your first attempt at chemistry (3 credits), anatomy and physiology (6 credits), microbiology (3 credits).
No. Taking extra classes or repeating courses will not impact your prior academic record, and the grades obtained in these additional classes will not be taken into consideration for your admission.
Up to fifty percent of the total graduate credits above the baccalaureate required in a doctoral program may be transferred from an accredited college or university, including The University of Akron. All transfer credits must be at the "A" or "B" level in graduate courses. However, courses must be approved for transfer by our Graduate Program Office. Please email Susan Bradford at sb14@uakron.edu for more information on the specific amount that can be transferred.
The program does not accept or interview candidates from previously admitted anesthesia programs
One year of adult critical care experience is required before the interview. Critical care experience must be obtained within the United States, its territories, or a U.S. military hospital.
Examples of critical care units may include but are not limited to Surgical or Medical Intensive Care, Cardiothoracic Intensive Care, Coronary Intensive Care, and Neuro Intensive Care. Pediatric Intensive Care and flight nursing experiences are considered on a case-by-case basis. The operating room, PACU, emergency room, catheter laboratory, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and telemetry unit experiences are not accepted as critical care experience. Please reach out if you have any questions regarding your experience
Students can participate in a variety of clinical experiences from major academic medical centers to ambulatory surgery centers to rural health centers. We currently have over 50 clinical sites throughout the state of Ohio including sites at University Hospitals, Summa Health Systems, CCF Akron General, Union, and Mercy Medical Center, Aultman Hospital, Akron Children’s Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Bethesda North Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Grandview Medical Center, Soin Medical Center, OhioHealth, Mt. Carmel Health System, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, Pomerene Hospital, ProMedica Health System, The Crystal Clinic, the Louis Stokes VA, Western Reserve Hospital, and Wooster Community Hospital.
Students will administer anesthesia for patients of all ages with various pre-existing conditions undergoing a full spectrum of surgical and diagnostic procedures. Clinical experiences include elective and emergent procedures, OB, cardiac, ICU, regional peripheral nerve blocks, and pediatric rotations.
If you have additional questions, please email your questions to Susan Bradford at sb14@uakron.edu
YES, some things just set us apart.
36 Months
BSN to doctorate and CRNA eligibility in three years of full-time study.
COA Accredited
Accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
$212,650 Median Salary
The federal median salary for nurse anesthetists, May 2024, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cost Per Credit Hour
$1200 Ohio resident tuition (per credit hour for 42 credits of anesthesia courses)
$500 Ohio resident tuition (per credit hour for 51 credits of non-anesthesia course, including DNP courses)
$1 Non-Ohio Resident Surcharge (per credit hour)
100% Pass Rate
100% first-time pass rate in 2026, exceeding the 90.5% national average.
One Next Step
Plan the application year. Check the interview timeline, confirm your experience counts, and talk to Financial Aid about doctoral funding before the cycle closes.