Master of Science in Nursing - Nurse Anesthesia

The Master of Science in nursing program prepares registered nurses for advanced practice specialization either as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist. Student Learning Outcomes Quality Improvement Research and Scholarship Nature of Practice Leadership Ethics Collaboration Communication Advocacy and Policy Development Degree Requirements The MSN program itself requires a minimum of 36 credit hours to graduate, but most majors require an average of 40 credit hours of graduate credit for the student who enters with a BSN degree. Other degree requirements must be fulfilled for those entering with the portfolio option. A maximum of nine (9) semester hours of credit in approved graduate courses, where the student obtained a grade of B or above, may be transferred to meet program requirements, and three (3) credits may be waived for a total of 12 credits. To be awarded an MSN degree, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and received satisfactory grades in all nursing courses taken for credit as a MSN student. Degree requirements must be completed within 5 years of initial enrollment. Nurse Anesthesia Nurse anesthestists are advanced practice nurses who administer all types of anesthetic for every kind of surgery or procedure. As expert clinicians primarily responsible for direct patient care, they focus on preoperative evaluation, intraoperative management, and postoperative anesthesia care. Clinical courses for MSN nurse anesthesia students at FPB provide them with the opportunity to give direct patient care, participate in staff education programs, and identify clinical topics for research. Students work one-on-one with a clinical preceptor with expertise in nurse anesthesia. They will also take part in administering general and regional anesthesia in persons of all ages. The management of emergency operations, obstetrics, pediatrics, and neurosurgery are an integral part of the clinical experience. Graduates will be eligible to take the certification examination administered by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists. All applicants must have at least two years of recent experience in one of the following acute care settings: recovery room, emergency room, or medical, surgical, neonatal, or pediatric intensive care or one year's experience with certification in their respective nursing specialty (CCRN, CEN, CPAN).