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Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Program Curriculum

A group of students will begin the 36 month DNAP curriculum each year in the month of May. The curriculum design of the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program is organized around a series of educational goals explored through two distinct phases and culminating with the Capstone project. We are especially proud of the extensive clinical experiences our students complete during their time in our program. Click here to view a graph of our clinical hours as reported to the NBCRNA.

Phase I

Phase I of the program begins in the summer semester and is comprised of twelve months of classroom study and clinical practice — including training on the state-of-the-art Human Patient Simulator that allows students to develop critical thinking while they hone their psychomotor skills. A theoretic basis for evidence-based practice and clinical leadership is established with the Phase I coursework. Professional role development and an understanding of the healthcare delivery system are facilitated with coursework in leadership and health systems policy. The student will begin an observational experience in the clinical area early in the curriculum during the Basic Principles of Anesthesia II course. This allows the student to begin to integrate didactic knowledge with clinical performance.

Phase II

In Phase II of the program, students engage in more active clinical practice and are mentored in the application of the principles of evidenced-based practice and clinical leadership. This 24-month component of the program includes a series of four Advanced Principles of Anesthesia courses and encourages students’ development of their practice inquiry skills through the conduct of the Capstone project.

The final semester includes a Professional Practice course which is designed to assist the student in the application of ethical reasoning and intraprofessional collaboration. A Synthesis course is designed to assist the student in the integration of basic sciences into anesthesia practice.

Students must be flexible, highly motivated, autonomous learners who can remain disciplined and focused during this rigorous graduate program. Students can expect to spend 50 to 60 hours per week in meeting the didactic and clinical demands of the program.

At graduation, students who have completed this intensive, collaborative program receive a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice from Bryan College of Health Sciences. Graduates are eligible to take the National Certification Exam (NCE) administered by the National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists. With a passing score on the NCE, the graduate will earn the designation of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

View Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Curriculum

See if Our Program Meets the Certification or Licensure Requirements in Your State

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit may not be applied toward the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice degree.

Clinical Practicums

The Nurse Anesthesia program is especially proud of its extensive clinical experience, which includes specialty rotations in a variety of clinical sites. Each student is also assigned to a two-month and a one-month rotation in a smaller community hospital site during both the first and second year of clinical experience. These community hospital clinical rotations allow for further experience with regional anesthetic techniques. The student may choose up to two additional optional rural anesthesia practice rotations as well. Each student has an assigned “home hospital” either in Lincoln, Omaha, or Kearney.

Home Hospitals

Bryan Medical Center

Bryan Medical Center is a 672-bed, not-for-profit, locally owned and governed healthcare organization with two acute-care facilities and numerous outpatient clinics. Our centers of excellence include Bryan Heart; Louis J. Gogela Sr., MD, Neuroscience Institute; orthopedics; and the Institute for Women's and Children's Health. Additional areas of specialty include cancer/oncology; mental health; sleep medicine; rehabilitation; Diabetes Center; substance abuse treatment; radiology; outpatient specialty clinic; inpatient rehabilitation and emergency services.

Bryan Medical Center is recognized as a Level II Trauma Center. It is approved by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Health Care Organizations and is a member of the American Hospital Association. The Medical Center also is a member of the 41 hospital Heartland Health Alliance.

Bryan also excels in teaching facilities, including education in nursing, respiratory therapy, and radiology technology. Our School of Nurse Anesthesia has been offering classes since 1968. Students in the program work with the medical center's staff of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and anesthesiologists.

Students in the program work with Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and anesthesiologists, who administer approximately 18,000 anesthetics each year at the medical center. The school first accepted students in 1968 and has been in continuous operation since that time. The school, which first opened as a Certificate program, moved to a Baccalaureate program in 1978. Since 1986 students entering the program have earned a Master’s Degree and the DNAP program began with the class entering in 2014.

The anesthesia school was one of the first to offer clinical affiliations in rural areas. The wide variety of clinical experience is one of the primary strengths of the program. Students gain experience in a variety of institutions from small rural facilities to major medical centers. The goal of the program is to produce nurse anesthetists who can successfully practice in any setting.

Ten students are assigned to Bryan Medical Center as their home hospital.

Nebraska Medicine

The Nebraska Medical Center, Clarkson and University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, is the teaching hospital for the University of Nebraska's health science programs. The University's programs include the colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Dentistry, and the School of Allied Health Professions. The facility has 735 licensed beds and has an international reputation for providing solid organ and bone marrow transplantation services. It is well known nationally and regionally for the oncology, neurology and cardiology programs. Six students are assigned to The Nebraska Medical Center as their home hospital.

CHI- Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy

CHI-CUMC Bergan Mercy is a Level 1 trauma center located in Omaha, Nebraska that offers a full range of medical services that include heart & vascular care, emergency services, surgery, maternity, cancer care, and diagnostic imaging.

Limited home hospital placements are available in Kearney and Hastings, Nebraska.

Clinical Affiliations – Optional Rotations

All students may participate in four-week clinical rotations to the following clinical sites. The student may choose up to three rotations.

        • Bellevue Medical Center – Bellevue, NE
        • CHI Good Samaritan – Kearney, NE
        • CHI Immanuel – Omaha, NE
        • CHI Lakeside – Omaha, NE
        • CHI Mercy Council Bluffs – Council Bluffs, IA
        • CHI St. Elizabeth – Lincoln, NE
        • CHI St. Francis – Grand Island, NE
        • Children’s Nebraska – Omaha, NE
        • Columbus Community Hospital – Columbus, NE
        • Crete Area Medical Center – Crete, NE
        • Methodist Fremont Health – Fremont, NE
        • Grand Island Regional Medical Center – Grand Island, NE
        • Mary Lanning Healthcare – Hastings, NE
        • Phelps Memorial – Holdrege, NE
        • Kearney Regional Medical Center – Kearney, NE
        • Lexington Regional Health Center – Lexington, NE
        • Faith Regional Health Services – Norfolk, NE
        • Great Plains Health – North Platte, NE
        • Omaha VA Medical Center – Omaha, NE
        • Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital – O’Neill, NE
        • Memorial Health Care Systems – Seward, NE
        • Shenandoah Medical Center – Shenandoah, IA
        • Franciscan Healthcare – West Point, NE
        • York General Hospital – York, NE
        • Regional West Medical Center – Scottsbluff, NE

Apply to be a DNAP

Applications accepted April 1–August 31 for the class enrolling in May of the following year.

Ready to Apply?

For program and application information, call 402-481-8697. 

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