Program Features
Our program offers full-time, year-round enrollment with a hybrid curriculum that combines on-campus, online synchronous, and asynchronous learning activities. Students are required to reside in the Knoxville area by the start of the program in the SUMMER semester, which hosts the majority of clinical sites.
The curriculum is designed to cover the principles and practices of general and regional anesthesia across all general surgery and specialty areas, including neuro, cardiovascular/thoracic, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Significant coursework focuses on pathophysiology and pharmacology, alongside theoretical foundations of practice, professional issues, and evidence-based practice.
Simulation-based learning is integrated into the program to complement clinical experiences, ensuring students gain hands-on skills and practical knowledge essential for their professional development.
Applicants
Applicants must have the following:
- A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from all nursing degrees is required. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above is recommended.
- Only applicants with a cumulative GPA from all nursing degrees of less than 3.3 must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A combined score of 300 on the verbal and quantitative sections and an analytical writing score of 3.5 or above is recommended.
- Current ACLS & PALs certification.
ICU Experience
To be considered for admission, applicants must have completed at least one year of current, full-time adult critical care nursing experience prior to the start of the program. Applicants must be working in adult ICU at the time application is submitted.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills and feel comfortable working with ventilators, numerous vasoactive drugs, such as nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, dopamine and amiodarone. In addition, applicants must possess a thorough understanding of EKG interpretation and be able to apply hemodynamic values to patient care.
Some examples of adult critical care areas that meet this requirement include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Surgical ICU
- Trauma ICU
- Cardiovascular ICU
- Medical ICU
- Coronary CARE
Please note: Nursing experience in the Emergency Department, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, Operating Room, Pediatric ICU, or Intermediate Care Nursery does not fulfill this requirement.
CCRN Certification
The program does not require applicants to have CCRN certification prior to application, however admission will be contingent upon obtaining the CCRN prior to the program start date. Please note that while other certifications, such as Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), or other specialty certifications, are advantageous, they do not supersede the CCRN requirement.
Application Timeline
- NEW: Application deadline is September 1.
- Initial application reviews will begin August 1.
- Interview spots are limited; to ensure your application is fully reviewed, applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their application and upload all supporting materials (transcripts, essay, resume, etc.) prior to August 1.
- Due to the short turnaround time between the application deadline and interviews, ALL materials (transcripts, recommendation forms, essay, etc.) MUST be in your application by September 1, or your application may not be fully reviewed before interview selections.
- Interviews invitations will be sent within the second to third week of September.
- Interviews will be held in late September to early October.
- Application opens early June – After creating an application, you must choose the following:
- New Graduate Student > Degree Seeking > Distance Education > Health, Wellness, & Human Sciences > Doctoral > Nursing DNP > Nurse Anesthesia BSN-DN
- Program start SUMMER semester (late May/early June) of the following year.
Curriculum
BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program of Study (effective Fall 2026)
Year One
Full Summer
- N648: Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3)
- N616: Chemistry & Physics for Nurse Anesthesia (3)
Total of 6 hours
Fall Semester
- N604: Principles of Population Health (3)
- N622: Evidence-based Practice Improvement I (3)
- N628: Evidence Acquisition, Appraisal and Synthesis (3)
- N617: Clinical Anatomy for Nurse Anesthesia (3)
- N618: Clinical Anatomy Lab for Nurse Anesthesia (1)
- N619: Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology I (3)
Total of 16 hours
Spring Semester
- N557: Introduction to Health Care Informatics (3)
- N624: Evidence-Based Practice Improvement II (3)
- N621: Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology II (3)
- N627: Clinical Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthesia (3)
- N639: Advanced Health Assessment (3)
Total of 15 hours
Summer Semester
Full Summer
- N630: DNP Scholarly Project Proposal (3)
- N633: DNP Scholarly Project Immersion (1)
- N629: Basic Principles of Nurse Anesthesia (3)
- N640: Clinical Immersion: Nurse Anesthesia (1)
Summer I
- N631: Evaluation Methods for Evidence- based Practice Improvement (2)
Total of 10 hours in the summer
Year Two
Fall Semester
- N612: Health and Healthcare Policy (3)
- N613: Nursing Leadership in Complex Systems (3)
- N633: DNP Scholarly Project Immersion (2)
- N635: General Principles of Nurse Anesthesia I (4)
- N641: Clinical Practice: Nurse Anesthesia I (3) (Clinical Course)
Total of 15 hours
Spring Semester
- N633: DNP Scholarly Project Immersion (1)
- N634: DNP Scholarly Project Dissemination (1)
- N636: General Principles of Nurse Anesthesia II (4)
- N642: Clinical Practice: Nurse Anesthesia II (9) (Clinical Course)
Total of 15 hours
Summer Mini
- N637: General Principles of Nurse Anesthesia III (3)
Total of 3 hours
Summer Semester
Full Summer
- N643: Clinical Practice: Nurse Anesthesia III (7) (Clinical Course)
Total of 7 hours
Year Three
Fall Semester
- N638: Professional Practice Role: Nurse Anesthesia (2)
- N644: Clinical Practice: Nurse Anesthesia IV (11) (Clinical Course)
Total of 13 hours
Spring Semester
- N638: Professional Practice Role: Nurse Anesthesia (2)
- N645: Clinical Practice: Nurse Anesthesia V (12) (Clinical Course)
Total of 14 hours
Summer Mini
- N646: Clinical Practice: Nurse Anesthesia VI (2) (Clinical Course)
Total of 2 hours
Full Summer
- N647: Clinical Practice: Nurse Anesthesia VII (6) (Clinical Course)
Total of 6 hours
Program Statistics and Accreditation
The following table indicates the NBCRNA Certification Pass Rates for graduates of the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration.
| DNP – 2023 | DNP – 2024 | DNP – 2025 | |
| First Attempt | 100% | 100% | 93.7% |
| Subsequent Attempts | N/A | N/A | 100% |
The Nurse Anesthesia Concentration’s student attrition rates are as follows:
| DNP – 2023 | DNP – 2024 | DNP – 2025 | |
| Enrolled | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Attrition | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Percentage | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| DNP – 2023 | DNP – 2024 | DNP – 2025 | |
| Graduate Employment Rates within six months of Graduation | 100% | 100% | 100% |
In 2024, the UT Nurse Anesthesia Concentration was granted the maximum continued accreditation of 10 years by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The next accreditation onsite review will be scheduled in spring 2034. The program received COA approval in June 2019 to award the DNP degree for entry into practice.
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
Address: 10275 W. Higgins Rd. Suite 906; Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
Phone Number: (224) 275-9130
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