BU, Geisinger Nurse Anesthesia Program Receives Approval
DANVILLE - Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and Geisinger Health System’s collaborative Nurse Anesthesia Program recently received full accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The program will welcome its first class in fall 2009.
The 33-month program is open to registered nurses who have earned a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN) and have at least one year of experience in critical care nursing, according to Arthur F. Richer, CRNA, MS, Interim Program Director for Geisinger Health System. The program curriculum is consistent with other advanced practice nursing programs at Bloomsburg University. Twelve students will be admitted to the program each year.
Students will spend the first fall and spring semesters taking core graduate-level nursing courses, according to Christine Alichnie, RN, PhD, Chair of BU’s Department of Nursing. During the first summer semester, students will begin the clinical component at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville taking courses such as pharmacology, pathophysiology, chemistry and physics as they relate to the administration of anesthesia.
“Students will be required to complete a prescribed number of cases in all areas of anesthesia care, but I know from experience that they will far exceed these requirements,” Richer said. “They will gain experience in different types of patient care – at our level one trauma center and ambulatory centers, in private practice and in community practice settings.”
Students who successfully complete the program and the national certification exam offered by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) will earn the designation CRNA, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
Nurse anesthetists are the hands-on providers of 30 million anesthetics delivered in the United States each year, according to the AANA. They are directly involved in the technical and scientific parts of controlling someone’s physiology within surgical, interventional, and diagnostic settings, according to Richer, areas as diverse as cardiac, transplant, pediatric, pain therapy and obstetrics.
Approximately 39,000 nurse anesthetists are currently practicing throughout the country, including approximately 65 CRNAs at Geisinger Medical Center and another 35 at other locations throughout the system.
“About two years ago, Geisinger requested proposals to re-establish a nurse anesthesia educational program, replacing one that closed nearly 10 years ago,” Richer said. “The Bloomsburg University nursing program has an excellent reputation and it only made sense to bring Geisinger and BU together. Our recent accreditation solidifies the strength and quality of this partnership and the quality of education and training offered through this program.
“I know these students will be able to go anywhere to practice when they complete the program…but we’re hoping they will stay within the Geisinger system,” he said.
For additional information on the program, inquiries should be made to either Arthur Richer at Geisinger at (570) 271-6763 or Dr. Michelle Ficca at Bloomsburg University at (570) 389-4423.