Student Requirements After Enrollment

Possession of baccalaureate degree. If baccalaureate degree is in nursing, it must be from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) - Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Possession of current and valid licensure as a professional Registered Nurse (RN) in Iowa.

Possession of overall grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale

Successful completion of all nursing and anesthesia course prerequisites

Completion of one year full-time acceptable critical care nursing experience (post-ADN or post-BSN) as an RN prior to the October 1 application deadline

Possession of current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification

Possession of required health insurance

Complete health screening (health questionnaire and consent form, physical examination, urine analysis, rubella, rubeola, tetanus diphtheria, polio, TB skin test, Hepatitis B immunization)

International students will receive assistance with obtaining a student visa once the above enrollment requirements are fulfilled.

Being able to exhibit skills in critical thinking, clinical decision making, and diagnostic reasoning;

Demonstrating interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds, as well as with peers, colleagues, anesthesia workers of the health care team;

Being able to communicate sufficiently for interaction with others in verbal and written form;

Possessing physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and maneuver in small spaces;

Possessing gross and fine motor abilities and dexterity sufficient to provide safe and effective anesthesia nursing care;

Possessing auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs;

Possessing visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in anesthesia nursing care;

Possessing tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment and therapeutic interventions;

Demonstrating the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills required for nurse anesthesia practice.

Successful completion of all academic and clinical requirements prescribed by the Curriculum and Instruction Standards of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs

Maintaining a minimum grade of 2.75 for all courses in anesthesia nursing and 2.75 cumulative grade-point average in the graduate nursing program and completing all predetermined course work before graduation

Acceptable clinical performance according to The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Department of Anesthesia standards for care. All clinical experience must be passed with a minimum grade-point grade of 2.75 for all courses in anesthesia nursing average maintained

Master's degree candidates must satisfactorily complete either a master's project or master's portfolio

A passing score on one of the comprehensive examinations given in both of the second and third years is mandatory. A student may retake the comprehensive exam a third time, at their own expense, prior to the end of December of their third program enrollment year. Three failures will result in the student resigning from the program

Completion and submission of all program documentation, evaluations and all other written assignments and reports

Maintenance of current registered nurse license in Iowa

Certification of Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) at graduation

Payment of the appropriate fee required by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA) in order to write the National Certification Examination (NCE)

Completion of any time extensions necessitated by leaves of absence, extended illness or other absences that are beyond program allowances

Capability to analyze and use principles of anesthesia practice to function independently and;

Ability to apply critical thinking and creative reasoning to anesthesia nursing theory and practice;

Communication by example, orally and in writing of support for the contribution of the nurse anesthetist in an evolving health care environment;

Commitment to continuing scholarship, and beginning competence in use of research methods and research findings in the solution of problems that arise in anesthesia nursing practice;

Competency in clinical practice, management of resources, teaching, consultation, and predicting outcomes of nurse anesthesia care;

Use of appropriate leadership knowledge and strategies to stimulate change in the practice of anesthesia nursing, the profession of nursing, and the health care delivery system;

Personal and professional integrity.