Nurse Anesthesia DNP

Major: Nurse Anesthesia (NA)
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 135.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.3804
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1150

About the Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA).

The Drexel NAP-DNP is a clinically focused practice doctoral degree that combines the scientific and theoretical underpinnings with an extensive clinical experience that culminates in the DNP Scholarly Project. The NAP-DNP was developed in accordance with the DNP Standards as mandated by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, as well as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP Essentials. The NAP-DNP is a 39-month, 135.0 quarter credit, full-time integrated program that begins each spring. The first three quarters of the program (spring, summer and fall) are full-time and offered entirely online. After the first nine months, students complete the remaining 30 months onsite at Drexel University's campus in Philadelphia. Upon successful completion of the program, the student is awarded a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and is eligible to take the national certification examination offered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

Graduates of this program are able to provide safe, compassionate, culturally competent anesthesia care in rapidly changing practice environments across the lifespan. The DNP in Nurse Anesthesia educational experience will facilitate your professional growth and development into a competent, knowledgeable and vigilant nurse anesthesia practitioner.

Additional Information

For more information please contact napadmissions@drexel.edu. Additional information is also available on the College of Nursing and Health Professions webpage.

Admission Requirements

• Completed online application: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
• Degree Prerequisite:
  • For post-BSN applicants: A baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing (BSN) from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program.
  • For post-MSN applicants: A master’s degree with a major in nursing (MSN) from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program.
• GPA Requirements:
  • Applicants to the NAP-DNP program who completed their education in the United States, with a BSN or MSN, must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale in BOTH their last earned/completed degree AND in their calculated science GPA on our science GPA form.
• Certification and Transcripts:
  • Specialty Certification: CCRN or population-specific equivalent required.
  • Transcripts: Official transcripts from an accredited BSN/MSN program and all undergraduate and graduate schools attended (Please note that official transcripts can take up to six weeks to arrive.).
  • Official transcripts must be sent directly to Drexel from all the colleges/universities that the applicant has attended.
  • Please note that transcripts are required regardless of number of credits taken or if the credits were transferred to another school.
  • An admission decision may be delayed if transcripts are not submitted from all colleges/universities attended.
  • Transcripts must show course-by-course grades and degree conferrals. If the school does not notate degree conferrals on the official transcripts, you must provide copies of any graduate or degree certificates.
• Professional Licensure: 
  • Current unencumbered United States Registered Nurse (RN) License with eligibility for licensure in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
    • Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware RN licensure is required six months prior to the start of your clinical components. While this is not a requirement for admission, we recommend starting the process of obtaining licensure immediately after admission.
  • Current American Heart Association CPR (BLS) certification.
  • Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification.
  • Please provide at least one of the following: PALS or ACLS. If admitted, you will be required to have the other certification by the time you enroll in the program.
• Personal Statement/Essay:
  • Submit a statement of interest detailing your desire to pursue a career in nurse anesthesia practice, your long-term career goals and identify a current clinical practice problem impacting nurse anesthesia practice.
  • Please limit your statement of interest to two pages, double-spaced, using Times New Roman, 12-point font.
• Current CV/Resume:
  • A current curriculum vitae detailing academic and professional experience.
• References:
  • Three (3) references are required from the following individuals who can attest to the applicant's clinical knowledge, clinical skill and potential aptitude for graduate-level study:
    • Nurse manager.
    • Physician or clinical supervisor.
    • Clinical educator or professor.
    • References will not be accepted from colleagues, friends, CRNA/anesthesiologist shadowed by the applicant or family members.
• Applicants may use Drexel's electronic letter of recommendation service.
• If a recommender prefers to submit an original, hard copy letter, please remind them that it must include an ink signature and be submitted in a sealed envelope.

Applicants to the NAP-DNP program will possess a minimum of two years (post-orientation) full-time experience working with the most critically ill patients.

Clinical Critical Care Experience:
The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs defines a critical care setting:
Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories or a US military hospital outside of the United States. During this experience, the registered professional nurse has developed critical decision-making and psychomotor skills, competency in patient assessment and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. 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 (e.g., pulmonary artery, central venous pressure and arterial catheters), cardiac assist devices, mechanical ventilation and vasoactive infusions. Examples of critical care units may include but are not limited to surgical intensive care, cardiothoracic intensive care, coronary intensive care, medical intensive care, pediatric intensive care and neonatal intensive care. 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.

Technical Standards:
The Nurse Anesthesia Program requires that all applicants must be able to meet the technical standards for admission, progression and graduation. The technical standards can be found by clicking on this link: Technical Standards-Nurse Anesthesia.

Tuition and Fees:
Cost of Attendance for Graduate Programs

Degree Requirements

Sample Plan of Study

Program Level Outcomes

Graduates will demonstrate the ability to:

• Evaluate evidence-based processes that address practice standards to promote safe and equitable patient-centered care
• Implement pertinent evidence-based findings to foster practice guidelines that improve population health and the practice environment to support safe and equitable patient-centered care
• Integrate technology and information systems with advanced nursing practice to improve patient care
• Demonstrate expertise in the analysis, formulation and implementation process of health care policy
• Contribute to the advancement of anesthesia practice, health care and humanity through leadership, education and promotion of intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration
• Utilize advanced critical thinking and decision-making skills throughout the perioperative period, during the autonomous administration of anesthesia for patients across the lifespan
• Demonstrate advanced levels of nursing practice, clinical judgment and accountability to deliver optimal patient care with an emphasis on diverse and vulnerable populations

Nurse Anesthesia Faculty