Nov 08, 2024

2021-2023 Graduate Catalog

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2021-2023 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Doctor of Nursing Practice: Nurse Anesthesia

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School of Nursing
3008 Human Health Building (map)
(248) 370-4253 • Fax (248) 364-8740
www.oakland.edu/nursing

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

Accreditation

COA Accreditation

On June 13, 2017 the Oakland University-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia was granted full accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) to offer the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree as the degree for entry into practice. The program’s next review by the COA is scheduled for March 2022.

Visit the website http://coacrna.org or contact the COA directly at 847-655-1160 or via 222 S. Prospect Ave. Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-4001.

CCNE Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/ master’s degree program in nursing/Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Oakland University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Program Description

The Oakland University-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia is a collaborative initiative between Oakland University and the nationally renowned Beaumont Health System. Working in concert, both institutions are able to provide an exceptional educational environment for educating Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. The DNP: Nurse Anesthesia program prepares advanced practice nurses (APRNs) with a specialization in nurse anesthesia. The curriculum is an integration of DNP, APRN, and nurse anesthesia specialty courses. Students study advanced physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and gross anatomical dissection in cognate courses. Clinical internships provide the opportunity for students to apply theory to practice, gain experience in all specialty areas and to become experts capable of providing anesthesia care to patients across the lifespan at all levels of acuity, undergoing procedures of varying complexity. Graduates are prepared in the translation of research and other evidence into clinical practice, measurement of patient outcomes, and transformation of health care systems to ensure quality and safety. The DNP is capable of addressing the critical leadership skills needed to translate evidence-based care into practice, change systems of care, and measure outcomes of groups of patients, populations, and communities.

After 36 months of full-time study, graduates are prepared to take the certification examination offered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists leading to the designation CRNA..

Program delivery

The DNP: Nurse Anesthesia program is delivered in hybrid format, which includes face-to-face (in-person) and online courses. Courses that are offered online may include synchronous and in-person activities. Courses offered in-person frequently include a distance learning format.

DNP: Nurse Anesthesia program objectives

Building on the foundation of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the BSN to DNP: Nurse Anesthesia program will prepare the student for the highest level of clinical nursing practice. The DNP graduate will:

Integrate scientific and theoretical knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to develop, identify, evaluate, and disseminate best practices to improve health care and health care systems.
Lead organizations and systems to enhance quality and safety to improve patient, population, and organizational outcomes.
Employ data analytic methods, information systems, and technology to evaluate, integrate, and translate evidence to improve programs of care, outcomes of care, and care systems.
Lead and influence health policy to reduce health disparities, encourage cultural sensitivity, and promote access to quality care while advocating for social justice and equity at the system, state, national, and international levels.
Use models of interprofessional collaboration to enhance patient and population health outcomes.
Provide the highest level of ethical, patient-family-centered care as a scholar in nursing specialty practice.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in NursingCAS by the deadline listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

All applicants to this program are admitted for the fall semester only. The application deadlines are:

August 15 for admission to the fall semester of the following year
International students: August 15 for admission to the fall semester of the following year (see additional requirements below)

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

Applicants do not submit an online Oakland University Graduate Application. A completed application and required materials must be submitted through the Nursing Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS). Information and instructions for applying through the NursingCAS can be found at the School of Nursing website.

Additional department application requirements submitted through NursingCAS

BSN from an institution accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Undergraduate cumulative Nursing GPA must be a 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale).
Undergraduate science GPA must be a 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale).
Undergraduate required science courses:
- Anatomy and physiology- 3 credits each course
- Pharmacology- 3 credits
- Biochemistry OR Organic chemistry-3 credits
A minimum of 1 year of Intensive Care experience at the time of application. Applicants must currently be working in an Intensive Care Unit.
Current unrestricted Registered Nurse license. Michigan license is required at the start of the program.
Two satisfactory letters of recommendation are required. One must be from a current nurse manager or someone who serves in a legitimate supervisory role.
BLS, ACLS, PALS, and CCRN certification at the time of application

International Students

International students are encouraged to contact The Graduate School (www.oakland.edu/grad) to determine what additional documentation is required for admission eligibility.

Admission review and assessment

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

Qualified applicants will be selected to attend an interview and complete a brief evaluation of their critical care nursing knowledge and skills.

Degree requirements

The Doctor of Nursing Practice: Nurse Anesthesia degree program is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 87 credits in an approved plan of study. The program of study commences in Fall and allows full-time students to complete the requirements in 36 months.

Extensive time is required in the clinical setting, beginning gradually toward the end of the second term and concluding with 40 or more hours a week during the final internships. Clinical requirements by the accrediting body require a minimum of 650 cases, in all specialty areas, with a minimum of 2000 clinical hours.

Course requirements

After acceptance and prior to starting the program, students are required to provide evidence of successful completion of a graduate-level statistics course. Students may take NRS 5302 - Statistics in Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits) to satisfy this requirement. Prior to taking a graduate-level statistics course other than NRS 5302, students must contact the advising office and supply information needed to determine course equivalency. Equivalency will be reviewed and approved by the DNP-NA program director.

Foundation courses (14 credits)

NRS 8211 - Advanced Nursing Theory (3 credits)
NRS 8221 - Health System Policy and Regulation (3 credits)
NRS 8231 - Organizational and Systems Leadership (3 credits)
NRS 8241 - Nursing and Healthcare Informatics Leadership (3 credits)
NRS 8712 - Theory and Translating Research for Evidence-Based Practice (2 credit)

Research (15 credits)

The purpose of the research sequence is to prepare DNP students to evaluate current evidence-based research and assist in the development of a scholarly project that implements best evidence into practice under the guidance of a DNP Project Chair. The project is a comprehensive, integrative experience that reflects synthesis of program course work and mastery of expert practice knowledge in the translation of current research to improve nursing practice or healthcare outcomes for patients, families, populations, or systems. The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice, the DNP Project Handbook, and the policies of Oakland University Graduate School will be used as guides for what constitutes appropriate content and formatting for the final project.

The School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia Student Handbook and The Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Handbook provide more specific information and policies related to the project.

NRS 8671 - Advanced Scientific Methods for Evidence Based Practice (4 credits)
NRS 8681 - Clinical Prevention and Population Health (3 credits)
NRS 8998 - DNP Final Project (8 credits)

Specialty courses (58 credits)

The specialty courses are comprised of didactic and clinical courses that prepare students for the advanced practice. The specialty courses build upon nursing knowledge and skills learned at the undergraduate level and during foundation and clinical core courses.

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of B (3.0), as well as a B (3.0) or above in all courses.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Program requirements: Students are required to follow the university policies and procedures for graduate students, as described in the Oakland University Graduate Catalog. In addition to the university requirements, specific School of Nursing policies and procedures are outlined in the School of Nursing Graduate Student Handbook.

Students are expected to earn a grade of B (3.0) or above in each course in the DNP program. In courses graded Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory (S/U), students are expected to earn a course grade of satisfactory. In courses graded Satisfactory Progress/ Unsatisfactory Progress (SP/NP), students are expected to earn a course grade of satisfactory progress. Students who are not making satisfactory progress (i.e., <3.0, U, NP) in the program may be placed on probation with conditions imposed for retention in the program or may be recommended for dismissal from the program. Students are required to keep health requirements current and must maintain an RN license that is current and free of any complaint or restriction throughout the program. See the School of Nursing website for health requirements. Students are also required to meet any requirements of the health care facilities where they have clinical learning experiences.

Graduate students who are not in good standing in the School of Nursing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Continuous enrollment

The continuous enrollment policy for doctoral students requires continuous registration of graduate students for at least 1 credit each semester in the academic year to maintain an active graduate student status. This includes semesters in which the comprehensive, preliminary or qualifying examination is taken, defense, and each subsequent term (fall and winter) until the degree requirements are met and the dissertation or project is submitted to Oakland University Graduate School.

Students are required to submit a leave of absence form if extenuating circumstances arise where the student has to take a semester off. Failure to submit this form may result in a loss of admission status.

Some agency and graduate assistantship eligibility may have course-load requirements that exceed the minimum registration requirements of the Continuous Enrollment Policy (e.g., Veterans Affairs, Immigration and Naturalization for international students, and federal financial aid programs). Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to register for the appropriate number of credits that are required for funding eligibility and/or compliance as outlined by specific agency regulations under which they are governed.

Related program information

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with the DNP-NA program director, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the DNP-NA program director and submitted, in collaboration with advising, to Oakland University Graduate School.

Note: Nurse Anesthesia cohorts follow a specific course of study and do not meet with faculty advisers or formulate a plan of study.

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.

Advising

Students are responsible for requirements and policies stated in the School of Nursing Graduate Student Handbook and in each course syllabus. Every student admitted to the MSN program is assigned both an academic adviser and a faculty adviser who has teaching responsibilities in the graduate program. These advisers are available to discuss coursework, plans of study, concerns regarding progression in the program, and student career goals.

Note: Nurse Anesthesia students will work directly with the Nurse Anesthesia faculty for all clinical and didactic concerns.