Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many students will be admitted to each cohort?
A: A maximum of 15 students will be admitted per cohort per year.
Q: Would a nurse anesthesia student be able to continue working through any part of the program?
A: The decision to work during any program of study cannot be restricted, but it is up to the student to decide if the balance between the academic load and employment will lead to ultimate academic success.
Q: What counts as critical care experience?
A: A registered nurse with critical care experience works in an ICU environment, develops and applies critical thinking and decision making, develops and applies psychomotor and assessment skills, and uses and interprets advanced monitoring techniques. In the ICU environment, the nurse manages invasive hemodynamic monitors, cardiac assist devices, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive infusions.
Q: There are some nurse anesthesia programs that emphasize adult ICU experience and disregard pediatric ICU experience. Will pediatric ICU experience count?
A: Yes. Pediatric ICU experience will count as experience towards admission.
Q: Is Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification required by the admit date to be considered for the program?
A: No. It is reasonable that if a candidate does not have a need for PALS certification in current employment, as long as the certification is obtained prior to the beginning of clinical activities in the nurse anesthetist program, the candidate should still be considered for admission. Clinical activities begin in the third semester of the program.
Q: Is a team or one-on-one approach used for the DNP project?
A: We currently have a DNP team structure comprised of a Faculty of Record, a student, and a consultant or content expert. Students are provided with a DNP Project Manual to guide them through the process. Each student is responsible for completing their own DNP project.
Q: Will a commercial program, such as ATI, be used for board preparation?
A: Students will be required to purchase APEX anesthesia review for use during the program and for National Certification Exam review. Revised 7/2024
Q: The program is noted as having a hybrid curriculum, what does that mean?
A: A hybrid curriculum is a mix of online and face to face courses. Most of the courses are face to face and include the anesthesia specialty and clinical practicum courses. The online offerings include 10 core DNP courses taken by all DNP students in the WVU SON, 3 anesthesia specialty courses, and 3 DNP project courses. Online courses are noted with an asterisk on the progression plan. View Course Descriptions and the Progression Plan for more information
Q: What is the admission cycle?
A: At this time, applications for the nurse anesthetist program are open annually in the fall. Interviews are then conducted over the winter for a start in the following fall. Successful candidates for admission can expect as much as a year to pass between submission of an application and enrollment into the program.
Q: I am from out of state or outside of Morgantown, WV. Should I plan on moving to Morgantown, and if so, when?
A: Moving is a big decision, and a personal one. As the program has developed, semesters 1 and 2 are largely online, so moving to Morgantown in those semesters is a personal preference. Factors determining when and where to move include family and pet needs, financial considerations, and locations of clinical rotations. Preparation for clinical and clinical practicum begins in semester 3. Clinical rotations begin closer to Morgantown and spread across the state and region in semesters 4 through 9. Current students have great advice about signing year-long leases vs. arranging short-term rentals. A couple students have used RVs or stayed with extended family and friends while rotating to distant sites.
Q: Do I have to rotate to all sites in the program?
A: It is not feasible for one student to rotate to all of the program’s sites due to the number of them. Considerations for selecting certain rotations include case types, practice models, and locations. Faculty try to be as equitable as possible in scheduling clinical rotations, but inevitably some students are going to travel more than others. The overall goal is to give our students the best clinical experiences to prepare them to be excellent clinicians.