Nurse Anesthesia Certificate Program
Program Description
Program in Nurse Anesthesia Student Handbook
The Nurse Anesthesia University Statutory Certificate Program is designed to educate Master's prepared nurses to relate theoretical knowledge with clinical anesthesia practice by assuming increasing responsibility for total anesthesia care under preceptor guidance. The first year curriculum is devoted to specialty courses. The clinical residency starts in May of the first year. Clinical experiences are provided at leading medical centers in the tri-state area and beyond. Emphasis is placed on integrating didactic knowledge with patient management and advanced clinical skills.
Post Master's certificate recipients are eligible to take the certifying exam administered by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists. The program is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. The program is certified for advanced practice/nurse practitioner status by the New York State Education Department.
Applicants with graduate degrees will not be awarded a master's or higher degree upon completion of the post-master's certificate anesthesia program.
Admission
Please contact the Office of Admissions for details regarding admission and financial aid packages. The application deadline is November 1 to start the following fall semester. Please note, applications for the Nurse Anesthesia Certificate Program can only be submitted online.
Admission criteria include:
- Current New York State nursing license or eligibility
- Master’s degree in nursing from an NLN or CCNE accredited program with official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Minimum of one year clinical experience (in an intensive care setting)
- Two semesters of chemistry (at least one organic course) and one semester of physics
- Satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- Personal interview with the program director
- Three references attesting to applicant’s academic ability and potential
- Personal goal statement that is congruent with program goals (two pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. font)
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum
| Courses | Credits |
| Homeostatic Mechanisms During Anesthesia | 3 |
| Pharmacology of Anesthetics | 3 |
| Anesthesia and Co-Existing Diseases | 2 |
| Basic Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice | 4 |
| Pharmacology of Accessory Drugs | 2 |
| Basic Principles of Regional Anesthesia | 2 |
| Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice I | 2 |
| Nurse Anesthesia Residency I | 2 |
| Critical Decision Making in Nurse Anesthesia Practice I | 2 |
| Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice II | 2 |
| Nurse Anesthesia Residency II | 2 |
| Critical Decision Making in Nurse Anesthesia Practice II | 2 |
| Nurse Anesthesia Residency III | 2 |
| Critical Decision Making in Nurse Practice III | 2 |
| Nurse Anesthesia Residency IV | 2 |
| Critical Decision Making in Nurse Anesthesia Practice IV | 2 |
| Total Credits | 36 |
The above listing represents the basic post-master’s statutory certificate in this major. Individual students may need additional course work, depending on previous study and experience. Students may receive advanced standing or exemption, based on standard School policy.
Visit the Nurse Anesthesia Website
School of Nursing
The School of Nursing has paved the way for professional nursing since 1892 and continues to lead the field as the foremost institution for advanced practice nursing.
The School of Nursing is a designated World Health Organization Collaborating Center for International Nursing Development in Advanced Practice. With urban clinical sites, expert faculty practitioners, cutting edge research, and the strength of the Columbia name and reputation, the School of Nursing produces graduates who possess the skills necessary to bring advanced practice nursing into the new millennium. As medical advances offer a cascade of new and useful therapies, the need for more health care providers will increase exponentially. Our country will face many health care challenges in the next 20 years, and nurse practitioners are essential to providing access to quality primary care.
Founded in 1892 as Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, the School became part of Columbia University in 1937 and began offering the baccalaureate degree. It is one of the oldest schools of nursing in the US. In 1956, it became the first nursing program in the country to awards a master’s degree in a clinical nursing specialty. In 1999, the School granted its first doctoral degree. More than 9,000 nurses have graduated since the School opened.
The School shares the Columbia University Health Sciences Campus with the School of Public Health, the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Each of these schools adds to the richness and diversity of the educational experience of students and faculty.
School of Nursing faculty have substantial experience in curriculum, instructional design, and research. They maintain expertise in their areas of teaching responsibility through participation at local, regional, and national conferences, involvement in scholarly presentations and publications, and faculty practice.
Columbia University School of Nursing is distinguished by the clinical excellence of its programs and graduates.Columbia nurses are making crucial contributions and improving the health of individuals wherever they practice.
The above information is current as of 6/07 and is subject to change at any time.