Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Philosophy and Goals
The philosophic foundations of the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice are commensurate with all graduate programs within Bryan College of Health Sciences.
The practice doctorate in nurse anesthesia is unique in the realm of traditional graduate programming as the knowledge, skills and abilities are drawn from the integration of many disciplines that contribute to the core of professional education. The complexity of contemporary anesthesia practice justifiably requires this integration to enable the nurse anesthetist to practice the humanistic, scientific and technical skills of the profession competently and intelligently.
The educational program for the preparation of nurse anesthetists is conducted as a shared responsibility between student and faculty. Students must be intensely committed to achieving their goals through a consistent demonstration of purpose, motivation, responsibility to patients and colleagues, independence of thought, creativity and personal demeanor. Faculty, likewise, are committed to the responsibilities of competent resource, guidance and professionalism.
The program seeks to express its commitment to each student through individualized instruction and counsel. Our primary goal is to provide the graduate student with an advanced scientific knowledge base, an understanding of healthcare policy and the ability to advocate for the improvement of patient care through scholarship and leadership skill. We are committed to providing an opportunity to each student to develop a comprehensive array of clinical skills that hallmark the standards of care in anesthesia practice.
Our obligation to graduates will be to prepare them for full participation in the delivery of anesthesia care in concert with other healthcare providers. They will be competent in independent judgment as advanced-practice professional nurses.
Our responsibility to the community is expressed in the aim of providing an educational program that will ably prepare the nurse anesthetist to meet the healthcare needs of a culturally diverse population.
Our obligation to the profession is to prepare a nurse anesthetist who will serve as an invaluable resource in support of the goals of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and to the advancement of the profession of nurse anesthesia. Thanks to a generous gift from the late Jim Cuddeford’s estate, all nurse anesthesia faculty are supported to grow in the profession and advance anesthesia education for years to come.
DNAP Educational Goals
Academic Goals
The student will obtain an advanced body of specialized knowledge that enables the student to integrate didactic information and clinical data and formulate a comprehensive individualized care plan.
The student will demonstrate the skill to adjust the plan of care based on critical thinking and a problem-solving approach.
Clinical Goals
The student will be able to plan and administer a safe and physiologic anesthetic across the lifespan; one based on a knowledge and synthesis of anesthetic principles and basic science study.
The student will utilize evidenced-based practice principles to promote problem identification, inform clinical decisions, analyze outcomes and improve quality of care.
The student will demonstrate skill with a comprehensive range of clinical techniques found in contemporary nurse anesthesia practice.
Scholarship Goals
The student will be able to translate research evidence to evaluate outcomes in a variety of populations, clinical settings, and systems.
The student will disseminate an extensive body of knowledge within a specific area of nurse anesthesia practice, policy, leadership or education and apply this knowledge to solve an identified problem
Leadership Goals
The student will demonstrate interprofessional and intraprofessional leadership.
The student will integrate ethical, legal and cultural considerations with personal and professional value systems in the application of the art and science of nurse anesthesia.
