Admission

What courses will best prepare me for the program?

• Courses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, physics, organic chemistry, and biochemistry will strengthen your foundation and enhance the competitiveness of your application.

What is considered critical care experience, and how much is required?

• At least one year of critical care experience is required for program admission. We evaluate every applicant individually, but prefer ones who have experience in hemodynamic monitoring (CVP, arterial lines, PAP, continuous ECG), management of patients with ventilators, and vasopressors. Most of these experiences can be obtained in Cardiothoracic ICU, Surgical ICU, Trauma ICU and Medical ICU. Emergency Department experience is accepted, but must be from a Level 1 Trauma facility. Students with pediatric or neonatal ICU experience have been accepted to the program and have easily adjusted to providing care to adult patients.

Does the admission process include an interview?

• After all applicants are screened, the most qualified will be invited for an interview. Meeting the minimum requirements for application does not guarantee you an interview. The interviews usually occur in June of every year.

Is there a waiting list for admission?

• No, though applicants who are not granted admission may reapply the following year.

What is a competitive GRE score? What is the minimum?

• A competitive Graduate Record Examination score is 500 verbal, 500 quantitative, and 3.5 analytical writing. A minimum of 900 on the Graduate Record Examination is acceptable.

Must I have an undergraduate degree in nursing to apply for the program?

• While a BS in nursing is preferred, we also accept applicants who have a BS in a related field and an AS in nursing. Related fields may include biology, chemistry, exercise physiology or respiratory therapy.

Can I apply for admission if I am enrolled in a degree completion program and scheduled to finish my BSN after the application deadline?

• Yes, a registered nurse who is completing their BSN may apply to the program, but the degree must be conferred prior to enrollment.

If I am not a Florida resident, do I need a Florida nursing license before applying for the program?

• An unrestricted Florida license to practice as a registered nurse is an admission criteria and it must remain in good standing during the entire time the student is enrolled in the program. Florida licensure must active before enrollment, but not necessarily at the time of application.

How many years of nursing experience do accepted applicants usually have?

• Applicants are required to have a minimum of 1 year of critical care experience to enter the program. Most applicants have at least 2-3 years of critical care experience.

Program Details

Can I work during the program?

• Working during the program is highly discouraged due to the intense nature of the coursework.

How many applicants are accepted each year?

• The Nurse Anesthesia Program admits approximately 22 students every year.

What clinical sites does Adventist University use?

• The anesthesia program provides a variety of clinical experiences to fulfill the requirements for graduation. The nurse anesthesia students will be required to rotate through all of the facilities in order to provide a well rounded clinical experience. The current clinical sites our anesthesia students use include Florida Hospital Orlando, Florida Hospital Celebration Health, Winter Park Memorial Hospital, Florida Hospital East Orlando, and Florida Hospital Altamonte. The nurse anesthesia program continues to pursue other clinical experiences.

How long is the program?

• The curriculum requires 28 months of continuous full-time study. A part-time program is not available.

Is liability insurance required for my clinical rotations?

• Liability insurance is required and it must be purchased before beginning the clinical practicum. Information about liability insurance is available through the AANA and the information will be provided after enrollment. Costs of liability insurance are the responsibility of the student.

Do you require a capstone project?

• The capstone project is required for graduation from the anesthesia program. This project will contribute to you professionally as well as the anesthesia profession. Examples of capstone projects include scholarly papers submitted for publication, teaching projects, original research, participation on research teams, etc. The project can be done alone or students may work with other students, faculty, or clinical preceptors.

Does the program have a human patient simulator?

• The ADU Nurse Anesthesia program has two human patient simulators. The human patient simulation lab has one adult and one child simulator. The simulators provide a variety of experiences ranging from anesthetizing, intubating, resuscitating and giving anesthesia drugs. The anesthesia lab also contains fully operational anesthesia machines, fiberoptic bronchoscopy simulator, epidural injection simulator, spinal injection simulator, ultrasound for guiding central catheter placement, and various airway management trainers.

Is the nurse anesthesia program accredited?

• Yes, the Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 222 South Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-4001; phone: 847-655-1160. The COA is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education. Adventist University of Health Sciences is also accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of the College.

Do you require a student portfolio?

• Students in the Nurse Anesthesia Program are required to complete a portfolio chronicling experiences accrued during the entire 28 months of the program. The portfolio will showcase each student’s professional achievements. The portfolio also documents that requirements have been met for graduation.

Are students required to take call?

• Yes. Call experience involves all “off” shifts and these include 3p-11p, 11p-7a, and weekends. A qualified anesthesia provider is always available to supervise students when they are “on call”.

Is a final program examination required?

• Yes, a final comprehensive program examination is administered in the last didactic course, MSNA 637. This exam is given by computer and designed to prepare students for the computer adaptive national certification examination administered by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA).