Program Description
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice registered nurse trained in the theories and techniques involved in delivering anesthesia. CRNAs participate in all aspects of patient care throughout the perioperative continuum and practice in all fifty states, providing approximately 32 million anesthetics annually. CRNAs deliver 65% of anesthesia services across the United States.The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program of the Loma Linda University School of Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia Concentration offers a didactically front-loaded, 39-month, full-time graduate curriculum designed to educate critical care registered nurses in the nurse anesthetist role across the lifespan. The program’s curriculum follows the American Academy of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice and the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs’ (COA) Practice Doctorate Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs. It consists of graduate-level core nursing courses, nurse anesthesia concentration courses, clinical courses and DNP practice inquire project courses. It is designed to move students from foundational content through concepts and principles necessary for practice to a clinical practicum sequence for learning and refining of professional clinical practice.
The program is fully accredited by the COA as a Distance Education Program and has been designed to take advantage of available distance education technologies to enhance curriculum effectiveness and flexibility. Courses are delivered via both traditional classroom and hybrid distance education formats. As a result, the first 2 quarters of the program are entirely hybrid in design with the exception of the quarterly Seminar Week. The remainder of the program follows a more traditional format, utilizing distance education technologies to enhance course effectiveness.
The CRNA program commences in the Fall Quarter of each year and students are admitted annually. Students are strongly advised not to work throughout this rigorous program.
Program Length
3 years and 3 monthsPossible Careers
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in settings where anesthesia services are neededApplication Deadlines
• Application Period: June 1 - August 1• Documents Deadline: September 1
Admissions Requirements
Education
- Baccalaureate degree or equivalent in nursing from an accredited institution.
Academic Performance
- Minimum GPA of 3.0, both cumulative and in nursing coursework.
- Science GPA of 3.0 or higher
Licensure
- Current unencumbered United States RN license at the time of application.
- California RN license must be obtained before the start of classes and maintained throughout the program until completion.
Experience
- Eight hours of clinical observation with a CRNA is highly recommended before the admission interview.
- Minimum one year of full-time critical care RN experience (in the US) at the time of application (excluding orientation); adult critical care experience preferred. Experience is evaluated individually.
Certification
- Current certification in BLS, ACLS, and PALS is required before clinical courses begin and must be maintained until program completion; CCRN preferred
Recommendations
Three electronic recommendations required:
- One from a spiritual advisor or pastor
- One from an immediate supervisor in the critical care area where the applicant currently works
- One from a critical care/ICU coworker
Interview Process (if granted by the Admissions Committee)
- Completion of an online questionnaire following submission of the application must be completed by the applicant before the admission deadline.
- Completion of the Emotional Intelligence Interview Process, which includes a meeting (in person or via Zoom) with the program coordinator and another Graduate Nursing Program faculty member.
- Not all applicants who meet the admissions criteria are guaranteed an interview. Competitive applicants are selected for an interview by the Nurse Anesthesia Admissions Committee.
Expected Cost of Attendance
The following estimated cost of attendance is based on full-time attendance for the number of months enrolled per academic year. Estimated amounts may vary based on a number of factors. Students may use these estimates when applying for financial aid.
Required Program Costs
Academic Year 2025-2026
Other Educational Costs
Non-required costs that can be funded with scholarships/loans.
Notes
- Estimated amounts are for the academic year specified only. Amounts are based on full-time attendance for the number of months enrolled per academic year. International students need to calculate 12 months of living expenses based on these amounts.
- Amounts are expected to increase each year consistent with inflation in the professional education sector.
- To qualify for financial aid, most students must be enrolled at least half time in an aid eligible program and be taking degree requirements. Half time is 6 units in a quarter for undergraduate programs and 4 units in a quarter for graduate programs.