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DNP PBAC TR NA - Post Baccalaureate DNP: Nurse Anesthesia Track (DNP)

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School of Nursing (School) ACADEMIC_LEVEL_GRADUATE

Program Title

Post Baccalaureate DNP: Nurse Anesthesia Track (DNP)

Default Credentials

DNP - Doctor of Nursing Practice

Catalog Full Description

The Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing is pending accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). No students may be enrolled in the program until initial accreditation is received. The anticipated start date is August 2026, pending COA accreditation approval.

The Post Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia track is based on the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. The purpose of the DNP Program is to prepare advanced practice nurses at the highest professional level of clinical nursing practice, while the NAP is clinically focused to prepare students for the full scope of Nurse Anesthesia Practice.

Program Description

The Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing is pending accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). No students may be enrolled in the program until initial accreditation is received. The anticipated start date is August 2026, pending COA accreditation approval.

The Post Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia track is based on the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. The purpose of the DNP Program is to prepare advanced practice nurses at the highest professional level of clinical nursing practice, while the NAP is clinically focused to prepare students for the full scope of Nurse Anesthesia Practice.

Interpret knowledge from nursing, liberal arts, sciences, and other disciplines to enhance clinical judgement.

Lead innovative health services in an advanced nursing role by employing holistic, person-centered care in the nursing process across the continuum of care.

Design public health policies by collaborating with traditional and non-traditional partners to advocate for, improve, and protect equitable population health outcomes.

Construct evidence-based processes into professional/ethical nursing practice to improve health and healthcare.

Implement strategies that promote an environment of safe, high quality care utilizing continual process improvement.

Lead an interprofessional collaboration to improve health outcomes and experiences.

Appraise leadership practices within complex healthcare systems to effectively and proactively coordinate resources to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations.

Design informatics and healthcare technologies in the planning, implementation, analysis, and evaluation of healthcare services to achieve optimal outcomes.

Create an environment that embraces the characteristics and values of professional nursing.

Admission Requirements

Admissions to the Post Baccalaureate DNP track are accepted for the fall semester only. The deadline for receipt of completed applications is March 15 for fall semester admission.

Individuals seeking admission to the Post Baccalaureate DNP, Nurse Anesthesia track must meet the following requirements:

  1. Completed application for admission to the Office of Enrollment Management (OEM);

  2. Official transcripts from all schools attended;

  3. Cumulative GPA (undergraduate and graduate) of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; If the overall GPA is less than 3.2, the nursing GPA may be considered.

  4. Previous degree: a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or higher is required.

  5. Evidence of an unrestricted/unencumbered nursing license as a registered nurse in the United States or one of its territories, and be eligible for licensure in Mississippi. Once admitted, students must be licensed/privileged as an RN in Mississippi and must maintain a current and unrestricted RN license.

  6. Applicants must be employed full-time as a licensed registered nurse (RN) in an area of intensive care nursing for at least one year at the time of application.

  7. Completion of at least one research course and one statistics course at the undergraduate or graduate level;

  8. Certification as a critical care registered nurse (CCRN).

  9. A minimum of 20 hours of anesthesia shadowing experience.

  10. Informal personal statement submitted with application.

  11. Three letters of reference – academic or professional reference letter, or a combination of both, submitted with application.

  12. For applicants who earned coursework/degrees from institutions outside the United States:

    1. Completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for graduates of foreign schools whose academic language was not English. The minimum required score is:

      • TOEFL-Internet Based Test (IBT): 79 or higher

      • TOEFL-Paper Based Test (PBT): 550 or higher

    2. Other documents required by UMMC and local, state, and federal authorities;

    3. Transcripts must be evaluated in a course-by-course report from World Education Services (WES) or the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).

  13. An interview will be required as part of the admissions process. Additional information will be provided to applicants when they are invited to interview. 

  14. If an applicant has been dismissed from any nursing program, one year must pass from the date of dismissal to the date of eligibility to apply for any UMMC School of Nursing program.

Degree Requirements

DNP Systematic Review Protocol/Scholarly Project

Each DNP student must implement evidence-based health care by completing a systematic review protocol and evidence implementation project using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodologies. Faculty will guide the student through identifying a clinical question, acquiring and evaluating the best evidence, and project planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Each NAT student will additionally have Terminal Program Outcomes. Please refer to the UMMC School of Nursing and NAT Student Handbook. 

Residency Experience

Residency experiences allow the student to develop and synthesize the knowledge and skills required to demonstrate doctoral-level competency in a specialized nursing practice area. The residency requirement for the DNP Program meets the AACN requirement of 1,000 clinical hours. Additionally, Nurse Anesthesia Program students will have a minimum of 2,000 clinical hours to complete as part of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) requirements. 

Time Limit for Degree Requirements

All requirements for the DNP degree must be completed within four years of the student's Plan of Study.

For more information about this program, contact:

Julie Bonom, DNP, APRN, CRNA
Email: jbonom@umc.edu
Phone: (601) 984-6215