Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate in Nurse Anesthesia

Interim Program director:
Anne Hranchook
3024 Human Health Building
(248) 364-8708
hranchoo@oakland.edu
 

Program description

The Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate: Nurse Anesthesia is a program of full-time study that prepares nurses as specialists in anesthesia care. As advanced practice registered nurses, CRNAs practice with a high degree of autonomy and professional respect. Clinical core and specialty courses, including clinical internships, are the same as the MSN nurse anesthesia program. These courses, along with the clinical interships, provide the opportunity for students to gain experience in nurse anesthesia practice in all specialty areas. Students study physiology, pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology and gross anatomical dissection in cognate courses. Upon completion of the 40-credit, 28-month post-master’s graduate certificate program, the nurse is prepared to take the certification exam offered by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists leading to the designation CRNA.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

• July 15 for fall semester

Readmission and program transfer

Requests for readmission and program transfers must be completed and approved prior to the beginning of a semester.

International application deadlines

International applications are reviewed for fall and winter admission only. To ensure adequate time for review, international applications must be completed at least six months before the desired date of intended enrollment in the University. All international application materials must be submitted by May 1 for fall admission and by September 1 for winter admission.

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all of the following university and program application documents by the published application deadlines.

University graduate application requirements

• Application for Admission to Graduate Study     
• Official transcripts providing evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
• Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with the first baccalaureate) and for all enrollment in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. International university transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.
  • As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate’s degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- and post-bachelor’s degree.
• Two official and original Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms.
• Proof of English language proficiency

• International supplemental application and supporting documentation must be submitted before international applicants can be issued the Certification of Eligibility (I-20). This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate. 

Program application requirements

• Two School of Nursing Supplemental Application forms: one for the School of Nursing and one for the Nurse Anesthesia program
• The two recommendations must be from healthcare professionals (prefer letters from nurses in leadership/education) who are able to attest to the applicant’s nursing skills and/or abilities. Program applicants must have one recommendation from their current nurse manager.
• Professional Goal statement of 500 to 1,000 words. The goal statement should focus on career goals after completion of the program, how recent clinical experiences have prepared them for advanced practice role, and plans for professional development. The goal statement will be evaluated on content and appropriate use of grammar, style, spelling and rhetoric.
• Individual interview with School of Nursing faculty will be scheduled after all admission materials have been submitted.
• Proof of BLS and ACLS certification. 
• Applicants for admission to the Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate: Nurse Anesthesia program must have completed a Master of Science in Nursing degree with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or above from an institution accredited by the National League for Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
• Applicants must be eligible for a current Registered Nurse license in their state of practice.
• Applicants must have completed an undergraduate physical assessment course.
• Undergraduate physiology and pathophysiology courses must be within seven years of applying to the program. Undergraduate anatomy, pharmacology and either organic chemistry or biochemistry must be within 10 years of applying to the program. Grades in each of these courses must be at or above a 3.0.
• A minimum of one year of critical care clinical experience as an R.N. is required during which time the applicant has functioned as an independent decision maker, demonstrated advanced psychomotor skills, and used and interpreted advanced monitoring techniques. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) experience must have occurred within two years of the application deadline. Emergency room, recovery room and step-down units typically do not satisfy the ICU requirement. This experience must be completed at the time of application.
• Qualified applicants will attend an interview and complete a brief evaluation of their critical care nursing knowledge and skills.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.