BSN – DNP: Nurse Anesthesia

The Nurse Anesthesia Program admits one cohort each year. Class size is approximately 15-20 each year. The application deadline is March 1^st with interviews normally held in April.  The chosen applicants will then start the following January.

To start the application process, an online application must be completed and submitted electronically to the Admissions Office.  All supporting documentation should be submitted by the application deadline. All completed applicant files are then reviewed for eligibility, and a decision is made on who will be invited for an interview with the Nurse Anesthesia Program Admissions Committee. Applicants not invited for an interview receive written notification.

Interviews are scheduled over a 2-3 two-day period. Applicants selected to interview are contacted by email to schedule a half-day interview. During the interview, applicants will also receive a tour and get an opportunity to ask questions to students presently in the program. At the conclusion of all interviews, the committee ranks all applicants and selects those applicants who will be offered a position in the next class. Alternate candidates are also selected in the event an applicant does not take the offered position.  Written notification regarding acceptance status is sent to all candidates shortly after the Admissions Committee decides on who will be selected.

It is highly recommended that candidates begin the application process well in advance of the application deadline to assure that all admission requirements are met by the deadline. The Nurse Anesthesia Program is extremely competitive due to acceptance to the program being one time per year, and there is a small number of candidates accepted to each class. Preferably, all required prerequisite coursework should be completed by the application deadline. However, an applicant will be allowed to complete outstanding prerequisite coursework following the application deadline and may be considered for an interview.

It is beneficial for the applicant to be enrolled in the coursework at the time of applying and give an update on how the course is progressing, including giving an update on the course grade at the time of applying. If an interview is offered and the applicant is selected as a candidate for the class, it will be stipulated in the acceptance letter that “admission is contingent upon successful completion of the outstanding courses.”

On average, for each position available for admission, approximately 7-10 applications are received. Of this applicant pool, approximately 30 candidates are interviewed per class. Of the candidates interviewed, 15-20 applicants are selected for each class, with two-three additional alternate candidates selected to fill any position declined by a selected candidate.  

Yes, you can apply to our program if you already have a master’s degree in Nursing or if you already took master’s level courses. Up to nine credits can be transferred for credit. These courses must be exactly equivalent to the courses offered in the program in order to be transferred.

An applicant’s GPA from the baccalaureate degree and from the science courses are considered and a cumulative GPA is calculated from all college/university transcripts. Science GPAs are reviewed. Transcripts are also reviewed with regard to grades for prerequisite and science courses as well as overall academic achievement. Science grades are weighted heavily.

References in letter format are preferred for applicants to the Nurse Anesthesia Program. Letters provide more in-depth information regarding applicants than a reference form with a few lines for comments. The person writing the reference letter should include his/her association with the applicant (co-worker, supervisor, CRNA, physician, etc.). However, most importantly, the person should address the applicant’s academic and clinical potential for the Nurse Anesthesia Program.

A minimum of one year of critical care experience is required by the time the applicant starts the program; however, more experience strengthens your application. Priority is given to applicants with the most current experience in an adult ICU at a Level One Trauma Center (larger hospital/medical center) where experience is varied and care is provided to patients with multiple co-morbidities, much like the types of patients that are cared for in the clinical settings in this Nurse Anesthesia Program. The ICU experience must be from a hospital in the United States. As part of the interview process, candidates will be asked to complete a questionnaire to further validate specific experiences in the ICU with regard to specific equipment, medications and procedures.

The Nurse Anesthesia Program does not accept OR as critical care experience. The council on accreditation requires one year of ICU/critical care experience. It is highly recommended for our program that the experience is from an ICU rather than PACU or ER. 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 (such as pulmonary artery catheter, CVP, arterial)
• Cardiac assist devices
• Mechanical ventilation
• Vasoactive infusions.

Examples of critical care units may include but are not limited to:

• Surgical Intensive Care
• Cardiothoracic Intensive Care
• Cardiovascular Intensive Care
• Coronary Intensive Care
• Medical Intensive Care
• Neurology Intensive Care
• Trauma Intensive Care
• Pediatric Intensive Care

Students in the Nurse Anesthesia concentration program gain clinical experience from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Children's Specialty Care Center and Shriners Children's during the program. Patients at these hospitals have high acuity. Applicants should be very skilled in caring for patients who are on ventilators, have invasive lines and/or have a variety of medicated infusions. 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.

Neonatal ICU experience, due to its limitation in caring for newborns, is not acceptable for our program. Pediatric ICU (PICU) experience is acceptable if the applicant can demonstrate excellent experience or knowledge in caring for children and young adults who are on ventilators, have invasive lines, and have a variety of experience with medicated infusions, as well as with medical conditions common to adults. The applicant with PICU experience is encouraged to have adult critical care experience, too, but it is not required.

The college/university and schools where you attended classes must send the transcript directly to Goldfarb School of Nursing. If you received them in a sealed envelope from that college/university, the official transcripts must be submitted in a sealed envelope to remain “official.” All information should be sent directly to the Admissions Office.

It is important to start the application process for the program as soon as possible to avoid any last-minute issues that could delay your consideration for admission to the program. Applications to the college are required to be submitted to the Admissions Office online by accessing the college website (www.barnesjewishcollege.edu) and clicking on “Apply Now” under the Admissions tab.

All additional required documentation can be submitted together at one time to the Admissions Office to complete your application or the documentation can be submitted separately. This documentation includes a current resume or curriculum vitae, a personal statement, evidence of a current nursing license as well as evidence of ACLS, BLS and PALS certification (PALS certification can be completed after admission). 

Refer to the College website for complete information regarding required documentation as an international student.

For additional information or questions, please contact Ms. Malou Jaime, International Student Advisor, via e-mail ([email protected]) or phone (314.454.8686).

Applying to the Nurse Anesthesia concentration program requires that the applicant have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. If the minimum cumulative GPA is below 3.0, the applicant will not be considered for admission. An applicant can raise the GPA by retaking courses to improve a grade or taking additional courses and receiving higher grades. A new GPA will then be re-calculated from both new and previous transcripts. However, raising a GPA is a slow process. The more hours of course work taken, the slower the process.

Science courses and critical care experiences are two areas that are weighted heavily. If you have science prerequisite coursework to complete, an A or a B for the course will enhance your application. Experience in a Level I trauma center will provide you with a wide variety of critical care experiences.

Experience with adult patients is highly recommended in critical care areas, such as cardiothoracic, cardiovascular, cardiac, medical, surgical, neurology, PICU, and trauma. It is important to have a wide variety of experiences, which may require having more than just the minimum requirement of one year of experience. Although not a requirement for the program, CCRN certification is highly encouraged as it will enhance your application. If you do not have CCRN certification but are eligible to take the exam, it is strongly recommended.

The core nursing courses are all offered online and most of the nurse anesthesia-specific courses are offered in person; on-campus attendance is required for these courses. Attendance at class and in the OR is mandatory.

Completion of the program can only be done on a full-time basis; no part-time enrollment is available.

Either course will fulfill the requirement as long as it is three credit hours. However, course content must be specific to Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry. The course should not be a general chemistry course only. Personal preference, based on course descriptions, may influence an applicant’s choice of organic vs. biochemistry, but this choice will have no bearing on the likelihood of admission. What is important in the review process is the grade obtained for the course.

Undergraduate physics is a prerequisite for the program. It should be algebra-based, and it should be a three-credit hours course.  A lab section is not required.

Labs are not required for these prerequisite courses. It is required that the courses be at least three credit hours, and that the Physics course be algebra-based.  A basic understanding of the content of these courses is the prerequisite goal.

The Nurse Anesthesia Program at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. The Program is also internationally accredited by the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA).  The College also holds accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Please see the website for the tuition and fee schedule for the nurse anesthesia program. There will be additional costs other than tuition and fees, which may include textbooks, attendance at meetings, AANA student membership fees, fees for a background check and drug screening, graduation fees, the national certification exam fee, and the self-evaluation exam fee.

Please note that health insurance is required while in the program and the cost can vary from person to person. Please research what your cost for health insurance will be while you are enrolled in the program. Costs are subject to change.

No, the GRE and GMAT are not required to apply to the Nurse Anesthesia Program.

Although there are no specified time limits for prerequisite coursework, it is preferred and beneficial to the applicant that coursework be recent, especially regarding the sciences.

Although a shadowing experience is not required, it is highly encouraged. Shadowing a CRNA helps the applicant to better understand the role of the CRNA. 

If you know a CRNA, you can ask to shadow him/her. You can also call anesthesiology departments of hospitals and ask for an opportunity to shadow a CRNA. There are no minimum number of hours required.

A typical day depends on the term. During the first two terms of the DNP program, students are not in the OR and a highly motivated student may be able to work part-time; however, the program is full-time even though courses are on-line. During the third term, students carry a heavy academic load, and many of the courses are on campus.

Students also spend clinical time in the Center for Preoperative Assessment and Planning. Students start clinically in the OR in the fourth term along with continuing coursework at the College.  As students progress through the program, class time decreases, and clinical time in the OR increases. During the last few terms, students are in the OR and they are also enrolled in a course that prepares them for the national certification examination

Students may be able to work part-time during the first and possibly the second terms since most of their courses are online during these terms if they are highly motivated, but it will not be easy.  It is highly recommended that students do not work while enrolled in the program due to the demanding academic coursework and high volume of clinical time. A grade below a “B” is unacceptable for Nurse Anesthesia-specific courses and will result in termination from the program.

Most of the clinical sites are on the Washington University-Barnes-Jewish Hospital Medical Center campus.  For example, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, both north and south campuses, along with St. Louis Children’s Hospital, are connected by an internal walkway.  Shriner’s Hospital is only a few blocks away and within walking distance from the College. The other clinical sites are less than 30 miles from the College.

Here are some suggestions:

• Continue to work in the critical care setting and obtain more critical care experience. The Council on Accreditation requires a minimum of one year of critical care experience. However, that is often not enough to be accepted.  Continuing in the critical care setting for a longer period will strengthen your application.
• Recent/current ICU experience is recommended, so if you do not have recent/current ICU experience, consider returning to the ICU.
• Try to learn as much as you can while working in the critical care area. Ask questions and think critically about the actions you are doing. If you hang an infusion of a particular drug (narcotic, sedative, vasopressor/vasodilator), make sure you know the mechanism of action, side effects, etc. Why would you be given specific pharmacotherapies? What is it about the patient’s status that indicates the plan of care that you are doing? Interpret lab values, CBC, BMP, ABGs and anticipate actions. If you have any questions or confusion about the care the patient is receiving, ask the physician, NP or senior ICU nurse, or read about the disease processes. Increase your knowledge base.
• Consider working in a level one hospital. These patients are often more complex with multiple comorbid conditions, so you will be challenged taking care of patients with higher incidences of morbidity and mortality. This also affords more opportunities for critical thinking and working with new, advanced technologies.
• Obtain your CCRN if you have not done this yet. It is best to have your CCRN prior to applying.
• Increase your overall cumulative GPA. This is done by taking more courses and getting As.  However, realize that the more courses that you have taken in the past, the slower this process is to increase your overall GPA.
• Complete your prerequisite courses before you apply again.  We like to see that the courses have been successfully completed when one applies to the program.
• If you only have pediatric critical care experience, consider working in an adult setting for more critical care experience.
• If you only have ER or PACU experience, consider transferring to an ICU. 
• Seek out leadership opportunities within your unit. Be proactive in joining or participating in research or QI projects within your unit.

The Washington University Department of Anesthesiology, where the nurse anesthesia students are trained clinically, hires CRNAs.  The department has more than 150 CRNAs working for them in various hospitals.  Please reach out to [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.