Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia
Graduate Degree
School of Nursing and Health Sciences
9 Semesters (3 years)
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- What You'll Learn
- Accreditation
- Key Benefits
- Global Health Service-Learning
- Tuition and Aid
The Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia Program at Westminster University
The Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia program allows students to master the intellectual and technical skills required to become competent in the safe administration of anesthesia. Graduates develop life-long critical thinking skills and the professionalism needed to become compassionate, patient-centered anesthesia providers, filling the urban and rural community needs for anesthesia providers.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia program is built upon the historical success of Westminster’s Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program, priding itself in doing everything possible to help you succeed in the program and realize your goal of being able to sit for national boards.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia program’s extensive hands-on experience, small class sizes, and engaging learning environment are a recipe for success in any operating room. From your first interview in the admissions process, every moment sets you up for success. You’ll receive ongoing support from faculty and senior peers, and you’ll connect with local CRNA preceptors for mentoring in a clinical setting. By the time you graduate, you will have the required cases and experiences to be a complete anesthesia provider.
Who the Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia Program Is For
Experienced, baccalaureate and graduate level nurses with the highest level of didactic instruction, anesthesia simulation, and clinical site experiences will thrive in this program.
What You'll Learn in the Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia Program
- Evaluate delivery of a safe anesthetic with vigilant protection of the patient and prevention of complications
- Develop individualized perianesthetic care throughout the anesthetic continuum to patients of all ages and physical conditions
- Integrate skill and knowledge necessary to function as a resource person for airway and ventilator management of patients in various settings
- Utilize critical thinking, decision making, and the application of sound principles and evidence-based research in practice
- Apply mastery of anesthesia concepts and skills by passing the NBCRNA certification examination
- Develop verbal, nonverbal, and written communication necessary to influence patient care
- Integrate professional attributes necessary to accept responsibility and accountability of new anesthesia practice
- Propose politically active advancements in nurse anesthesia
Sample courses
- DNPNA-725: Leadership and Roles
- DNPNA-732: Gross Anatomy
- DNPNA-733: Research Methods
- DNPNA-734: Chemistry and Physics
Completion time: Students complete the program in 3 years. It will take a significant time and energy commitment on your behalf over 9 semesters, but the reward will be worth it.
Application Deadline
The first 2 semesters of this program are fully online and completed remotely. See program structure for more details.
Application for Summer 2026 Cohort Opens: July 1, 2025Summer 2026 Cohort Application Deadline: Sept. 30, 2025
Virtual Interviews: October 2025
Start Date: Summer 2026
Our Faculty
Art Shimata, DNAP
Professor
Chris Torman, DNAP
DNP – NA Assistant Program Director
Daniel Bunker, DNAP
DNP – NA Program Director
Ted Morris, DNAP
Assistant Professor
100%
of graduates meet all COA and NBCRNA requirements
"I am currently doing what I love with my degree. I work at a hospital and provide anesthesia in a variety of hospital settings and across all patient populations. The most important thing I learned from Westminster was how to function as a competent, efficient, and independent practitioner. I was comfortable running my own cases from the start. I knew I had the skill set the job required and it was an easy transition into my role at the hospital."
Nykol Bailey
'14 DNP-NA
Nurse Anesthesia Career Opportunities
Completion of this program is the beginning of a rewarding lifelong career. Westminster’s healthcare industry connections help facilitate your job search. Over the last 5 years, 100% of Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program alumni (now the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia program) became employed within 3 months of graduation (with most having jobs locked in before commencement).
$120,000–180,000
National average salary offer graduates receive
(applies to the last 5 years, as of 2021)
Potential Nurse Anesthesia Careers
After passing the National Certifying Exam, Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia program graduates can work as certified registered nurse anesthetists in various settings like hospital operating rooms, surgery centers, doctors’ offices, and academic institutions.
Student Success
Graduates have made amazing career accomplishments including:
- Chief CRNA of an all-CRNA group practicing in Moses Lake, WA
- Practicing in the only level 1 trauma center in the country run by CRNAs
- 12 Westminster alumni are serving, or have served, as clinical coordinators for the Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program (now the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia program).
- Many Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program (now the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia program) alumni worked in the clinical setting with current program students
Potential Employers
- Denali Anesthesia
- Las Palmas Medical Center
- Harborview Medical Center
Attrition and Pass Rates
| Class | Attrition | First-time Pass Rate | First-time and Repeating Pass Rate | Job Offer within 3 months after Passing Boards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0% | 92% | 100% | 100% |
| 2022 | 0% | 88.5% | 100% | 100% |
| 2021 | 0% | 70.8% | 100% | 100% |
| 2020 | 0% | 73.7% | 100% | 100% |
| 2019 | 0% | 73.7% | 100% | 100% |
| 2018 | 0% | 88% | 100% | 100% |
Accreditation Employers Trust
Westminster is committed to upholding the standards set forth by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and the Council on Accreditation (COA). These standards help produce skilled nurse anesthetists who are qualified to sit for the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) Examination.
Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia to Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia Program Transition
The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) requires that all students matriculating into a nurse anesthesia educational program on or after January 1, 2022, be enrolled in a program approved by the COA to award a practice doctoral degree. In April 2021, Westminster’s Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program submitted its application to the COA for approval to award the Doctor of Nursing Practice. In January 2022, the COA provided Westminster's DNP-NA program with it's approval and accreditation for our doctoral program. Westminster enrolled its first doctoral cohort in the new Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia program in May 2022.
The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) can be contacted by the following means:
10275 W. Higgins Road, Suite 906
Rosemont, Ill. 60018-5603
224.275.9130
The cohort in May 2022 were admitted into a 36-month long program, culminating in a doctor of nursing practice degree. Students must pass the SEE exam with a minimum score of 425 before being eligible to sit for the National Certifying Exam after graduation.
Further information regarding this transition may be obtained by emailing Josh Fisher at jfisher1@westminsteru.edu.
Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia Plan of Study
Over the course of the program, you will master the ability to develop individualized perianesthetic care through the anesthetic continuum, becoming prepared to excel as a CRNA immediately upon graduation.
Program Structure
The didactic portion of the program starts with your first summer semester and is 5 semesters long. The first 2 semesters are fully online and completed remotely. The next 3 semesters are on-campus instruction.
Clinical rotations begin after the completion of on-campus courses. Students routinely average 900 cases over 4 rotations, while the required amount is 650.
Clinical Site Locations
- Arizona: Phoenix, Sun City, Sun City West, Tucson
- California: Fresno, Kern, Visalia
- Colorado: Alamosa, Colorado Spring
- Idaho: Blackfoot, Boise, Driggs, Montpelier, Pocatello
- Illinois: Huntley
- Nevada: Henderson, Las Vegas (3)
- New Mexico: Albuquerque (2), Las Cruces, Roswell
- Oklahoma: Tulsa
- Texas: Austin, El Paso (3)
- Utah: American Fork, Draper, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Payson, Salt Lake City, St. George, Timpanogos, Vernal, West Jordan
- Washington: Moses Lake
What Are the Benefits of the Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia Degree Program?
- Mentoring is Westminster’s top priority. Every faculty member is personally responsible for the success of 6 students.
- Westminster remains committed to your success long after graduation. Your mentors lend support and friendship as you navigate your career.
- Faculty mentors are personally responsible for assuring student success from the time the student is admitted into the program to well after graduation.
- Students have full access to the anesthesia simulation lab, 7 days a week.
- Students request clinical site rotations at approximately 3–5 varied hospitals and surgery centers from Westminster’s 35+ affiliated clinical sites.
- 100% of program faculty have held office in the Utah Association of Nurse Anesthetists (80% of which have served as president).
- 60% of program faculty have served in the U.S. Military.
- Faculty support and mentor military students and work to accommodate any required military training during the program.
Licensing
Westminster University’s DNP-NA program meets state requirements in all 50 states in the U.S. Additional requirements beyond education will include (but are not limited to) passing the National Certification Exam (NCE), application and licensing/permit fees, criminal background checks, reference checks, fingerprint submissions, fitness for duty requirements, etc. Continuing education may also be required for maintenance of licensure/certification.
Global Health: Service-Learning in Ghana
Students in Westminster University's Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program are invited to participate in a service-learning program in Ghana during the spring of their third year. In collaboration with Ghana Make a Difference, students have hands-on clinical experience, patient interaction, and opportunities to learn more about Ghanaian culture and global health issues. Students will help people in need who may not otherwise have access to medical care.
There's No Better Investment
Tuition and Fees
At Westminster, we are committed to making your education affordable.
Financial Aid
Westminster works with all students to determine the financial aid opportunities available to them. Federal financial aid is available and will be awarded on an individual basis to students who have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Some federal financial aid programs require students to maintain the equivalent of full- or part-time enrollment.
Loans
Graduate students are eligible for Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct (grad) PLUS loans through the U.S. Department of Education’s federal student loan program.
Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study is a federally funded program that provides job opportunities for students to earn money to help pay for college. Westminster employs hundreds of students each year in different areas.