SWAG��Ƶ

The mission of the School of Nurse Anesthesia is to provide an academic environment that allows students to master the intellectual and technical skills necessary to become competent in the safe conduct of anesthesia. This is accomplished by providing a select group of experienced, graduate-level critical care nurses with the highest level of didactic, simulation lab, and clinical site experiences. SWAG��Ƶ's graduate nurse anesthetists develop life-long scholarship, critical thinking skills, technical skills, and professionalism needed to become compassionate, patient-centered Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) in independent practice or within a collaborative anesthesia environment.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, have been providing anesthesia care in the United States of America for over 150 years. Currently, there are approximately 60,000 CRNAs in the United States with more than 2,800 students graduating per year.

CRNAs are anesthesia specialists who safely administer approximately 50 million anesthetics to patients in the United States each year. As advanced practice nurses, they serve in a variety of capacities in daily practice, such as a clinician, educator, administrator, manager, and researcher. CRNAs work in the administrative positions of hospitals, academic institutions, and other health care facilities.

• CRNAs administer anesthesia to patients across the lifespan for all types of surgical cases, using all anesthetic techniques. CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered, from university-based and tertiary medical centers, community hospitals, free-standing surgical facilities, and office-based surgeries. CRNAs deliver anesthesia in traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; critical access hospitals; ambulatory surgical centers; ketamine clinics; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and the healthcare facilities of the U.S. military, Public Health Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs.
• CRNAs are the primary anesthesia providers in almost 100% of rural hospitals in the United States, affording access to anesthesia care where it would otherwise not be available. CRNAs also provide anesthesia in inner cities, as well as urban areas.
• CRNAs are qualified and permitted by state law or regulations to practice in every state in the nation. They provide anesthesia in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, podiatrists, dentists, and other healthcare professionals.
• Nurses first provided anesthesia on the battlefields of the American Civil War. During World War I, nurse anesthetists became the predominant providers of anesthesia care to wounded soldiers on the front lines in Europe. Today, CRNAs have full practice authority in every branch of the military and are the primary providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel on front lines, navy ships, and aircraft evacuation teams around the globe.
• The School of Nurse Anesthesia at the SWAG��Ƶ has been involved in nurse anesthesia education since 1970, serving as an academic affiliate for hospital-based certificate nurse anesthesia programs. In 1988, we initiated a program leading to the Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia. In 1993, the SWAG��Ƶ MSNA program became the sole authority of the education of nurse anesthesia students when the last hospital-based program in Maine closed.
• In 2021, the D.N.P. program was approved by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs. The first class matriculated in August 2022 and will graduate in August 2025 with a D.N.P./NA degree.

Three-phase program

The SWAG��Ƶ's doctoral program is a front-loaded thirty-six (36)-month three (3)-phase program. On-campus classes are conducted on the historic Westbrook College of Health Professions campus located in the coastal city of Portland.

• Phase I comprises two (2) hybrid didactic semesters that are completed online with one (1) to two (2) on-campus weekends per semester. Courses in these semesters encompass the topics of informatics, leadership, epidemiology, economics, health policy, and fundamentals of anesthesia.
• Phase II encompasses two (2) full-time on-campus semesters of didactic instruction in basic sciences and anesthesia taught by our CRNA and science faculty. During these semesters, state-of-the-art task trainers and simulation labs are utilized to prepare students for the clinical experience. The simulation lab is housed in a multi-million-dollar, high-fidelity center in Innovation Hall on the Portland campus, increasing the quality and number of simulation experiences provided. Students are prepared for the clinical phase of instruction in courses such as Physical Assessment, Pain Theory and Management, Airway Management, and the Basic Principles of Anesthesia.
• Phase III of the program comprises clinical training at our hospital affiliates for a period of nineteen (19) months. Didactic instruction continues during the clinical phase through hybrid and on-campus courses in advanced principles of anesthesia, pain management, and research, culminating in a scholarly project. Anesthesia crisis resource management is taught in both lecture and simulation modalities. The School of Nurse Anesthesia has contractual relationships with over thirty-eight (38) hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and offices located in New England and throughout the country, offering our students a varied and diverse clinical education experience. Students are trained in collaborative anesthesia environments as well as in non-medically directed, CRNA-only sites. Each student spends at least two (2) months in a CRNA-only rotation. Students gain experience in all facets and types of anesthesia management, including ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, pain management, invasive monitoring, and pre- and post-anesthesia patient assessment. The average number of clinical hours in the Class of 2023 was 2727, well above the COA minimum of 2000 hours. The average number of cases was 971, exceeding the 650 cases required by the COA.

We encourage professional activities both through didactic courses and require student attendance at state and national AANA meetings. Participation on state association boards and student associations is also highly encouraged. Business concepts are taught, advocacy experiences are encouraged, and all students are members of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) from the first month in school.

Research is required with courses occurring over four (4) semesters, culminating in a doctoral scholarly project with posters exhibited at Research Day. Manuscripts are submitted to the SWAG��Ƶ digital library available to researchers worldwide, or may be submitted for publication to peer-reviewed journals.

With successful completion of the thirty-six (36)-month program, students are awarded a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia (D.N.P./NA). The graduate is then qualified to take the National Certifying Examination. Upon successful completion of the exam, the graduate becomes a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist qualified to practice in all fifty (50) states. To date, 100% of our students have passed the certifying examination in their first- year post-graduation and 100% have successfully obtained employment within six (6) months of graduation.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education through the fall of 2031. The program received the maximum 10-year accreditation length in the fall of 2021. 

Contact information for the Council on Accreditation:
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
10275 W. Higgins Rd
Suite 906
Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
Phone: (224) 275-9130

View the department performance data sheet (PDF)

• The first two (2) semesters are conducted hybrid with coursework online. Students will come to campus one (1) to two (2) weekends per semester for in-person classes.
• During the second two (2) semesters, students will attend classes full time on the Portland campus. The majority of the basic science and anesthesia didactic courses are offered during this period. Cadaver lab experience is provided during the on-campus semesters. The remaining nineteen (19) months of the program are clinically based, with an emphasis on advanced coursework, clinical training, simulation lab experiences, and completion of a senior research project. All students are required to complete the entire curriculum with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The minimum acceptable grade in any course is a B-.
• The purpose of the catalog is to provide a comprehensive list of required courses. The School of Nurse Anesthesia can provide a degree map listing which courses are taken in each stage of this timeline.

Clinical training

Upon completion of the on-campus didactic semesters of the program, the students move on to the nineteen (19)-month clinical portion of the curriculum. The primary focus is clinical experiential anesthesia education. The clinical experience obtained encompasses all areas for the student to achieve clinical competency and required skills in anesthesia. This is accomplished through affiliations at various clinical sites. The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs has set minimum standards for clinical experiences that each student must achieve prior to graduation from the program to qualify for the National Certifying Examination. Each student is required to administer a specific number of anesthetics including all techniques, agents, and patients across the lifespan.

All types of anesthesia techniques and the latest agents are available for student learning. Students are able to obtain experience in general anesthetics, intravenous agents, invasive line placement, and regional anesthesia including spinal, epidural, and peripheral nerve blocks including the use of ultrasound. During the clinical phase, more than the required minimum case numbers and clinical hours are obtained. All of the surgical specialties are included, and specialty experiences such as neurosurgery, open-heart surgery, and obstetrics are obtained through clinical rotations. Each student spends one (1) to two (2) months in a CRNA-only clinical site.

Clinical Affiliates

Please refer to the clinical education website for a list of clinical sites currently utilized by the School of Nurse Anesthesia.

The following criteria must be met to qualify for graduation:

• Satisfactory completion of all didactic and clinical courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Satisfactory completion of clinical experience in case types, numbers, and clinical hours as required by the School of Nurse Anesthesia and the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
• Satisfactory completion and fulfillment of stated SWAG��Ƶ School of Nurse Anesthesia Student Learning Outcomes.
• Completion of thirty-six (36) actual months in the program, exclusive of probationary time.
• All evaluations must be completed and signed, including University and Program evaluations.
• All clinical cases must be recorded and logged in Medatrax.
• Successful completion of the scholarly project.
• All missed clinical days must be made up.
• Submitted proof of professional meeting attendance to include one (1) national and two (2) state or regional meetings during the time in the program for a total of three (3) meetings.
• All fees must be paid in full.
• All library books must be returned.
• Completed exit meeting with Student Financial Services.
• Complete the exit clinical facility surveys.
• Submission of all required program evaluations.
• A current RN license and ACLS, PALS, BLS certifications must be on file.
• Successful completion of the Self-Evaluation Exam (SEE) from the NBCRNA. Students are required to obtain a SEE score of 425 or higher or two (2) attempts before they can complete the program. The program will pay for the first attempt and the student is responsible for subsequent SEE payments, if required. If the benchmark score is not attained on the second attempt, the student is required to take an extra comprehensive exam and pass with an 80% score. Failure to meet this benchmark may cause a delay in program completion.

WCHP Academic Policy

The Department of Nurse Anesthesia, the Westbrook College of Health Professions and the SWAG��Ƶ are committed to offering a quality Nurse Anesthesia Education program that complies with the evaluative criteria of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The program provides learning experiences and didactic knowledge to enable graduates to take the National Certifying Exam and become providers of high-quality anesthesia. Please refer to the WCHP Graduate Program Progression Policies and Procedures (PDF) for a detailed description of academic standards.

Program Completion Timeline

Students are expected to complete thirty-six (36) actual months in the program.

Rules of Conduct while on affiliation at clinical sites

Success in the Nurse Anesthesia profession requires certain behavioral attributes including but not limited to personal commitment and hardiness, self-awareness, resilience, perseverance, empathy, discipline, honesty, integrity, personal regard for others, the ability to work effectively with others in a team environment, and the ability to address a crisis or emergency situation in a composed manner. Adherence to these attributes requires a high level of maturity and self-control, even in highly stressful situations. During the clinical phase, students must conduct themselves in a highly professional manner consistent with the patient care responsibilities with which they will be entrusted. Failure to adhere to these standards, as noted below, or comply with the Clinical Rotation Policies will result in disciplinary action ranging from a written warning to dismissal from the program (depending upon the violation and the circumstances surrounding the offense).

• Creating or contributing to situations that jeopardize patient safety. This includes refraining from engaging in extraneous activities that abandon or minimize vigilance while providing direct patient care (e.g., texting, emailing, etc.).
• Students are expected to follow all policies in the Student Code of Conduct section of the SWAG��Ƶ Handbook. Unethical behavior such as academic dishonesty, falsifying case logs, or medical records is considered a violation of the Program’s standards of conduct.
• Respect the confidentiality of patients and fellow students. Students are not permitted to discuss any patients by name outside the clinical encounter situation. Students should not discuss other students with preceptors. For academic presentations, all identifying data, including name, initials, date of birth, and facility where seen will be omitted.
• Unauthorized possession, use, copying, or distribution of hospital records or disclosure of information contained in such records to unauthorized persons.
• Use, distribution, or unauthorized possession of intoxicating beverages or drugs on hospital premises or reporting to work under the influence of intoxicants.
• Unauthorized absence from the Anesthesia Department during regularly scheduled clinical hours.
• Failure or refusal to follow instructions of a duly assigned preceptor including refusal to accept clinical assignment.
• Use of vile, intemperate or abusive language, or acting in a disrespectful manner to any employee, supervisor, patient, or visitor.
• Any disorderly conduct on hospital premises.
• Creating or contributing to unsanitary conditions.
• Theft, fraud, or unauthorized use of property belonging to the hospital, patient, or visitor.

Clinical Practicum Course Expectations

To successfully complete each clinical practicum course, students must achieve a grade of A or B. Details regarding clinical practicum expectations will be detailed in the Student Handbook and course syllabus. Clinical progression will be monitored during each clinical practicum. If students are not meeting clinical objectives, they will be placed on monitoring or probation. If a student is placed on a thirty (30)-day probationary status, they will continue with the clinical objectives scheduled for that level. The student will communicate with program faculty and clinical faculty to develop a plan based on their clinical evaluations, clinical faculty feedback and/or program faculty findings. The plan will include strategies for the improvement of clinical performance.

At the end of the thirty (30)-day probationary status, the student’s performance will be re-evaluated by the clinical and program faculty. If they are successful, they will resume their clinical practicum at the same level as their peers and return to good standing. Being placed on probationary status will delay the student's graduation date accordingly. If progress continues to be unsatisfactory, the student will receive an 'F' for the course and be dismissed from the program.

Students may be placed on a second thirty (30)-day probationary period for additional (unresolved or newly identified) performance issues. The process described above would apply to this as well. Students are granted a maximum of two (2) probationary periods not to exceed sixty (60) days total. If additional (newly identified) performance issues continue to occur after a student has been granted two (2) probationary periods, the student would be immediately dismissed.

Essential Technical Standards

Principles

Nurse anesthesia education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of specific skills and professional attitudes and behavior. Nurse Anesthesia faculty have a responsibility to society to matriculate and graduate the best-prepared nurse anesthetists, and thus admission to this program is offered to those who present the highest qualifications. The essential technical standards presented in this document include pre-requisites for matriculation, subsequent promotion from year to year, and ultimately, graduation from the SWAG��Ƶ School of Nurse Anesthesia. These standards pertain to all matriculated students. All required courses in the curriculum are necessary in a progressive order to develop the essential skills and knowledge required to become a competent nurse anesthetist.

The faculty is committed to fostering relationships with its students that encourage human and professional growth. Its policies and procedures attempt to reflect this commitment to proactive and supportive communication.

It is imperative that all students recognize that the primary responsibility for a successful nurse anesthesia education, both in and outside the classroom, rests with the individual. Students, including students with disabilities, must have the capacity to manage their lives and anticipate their own needs. The School has incomplete influence in helping students achieve these personal adaptations. Situations can arise in which a student’s behavior and attitudes resulting from a disability or other personal circumstances represent a secondary problem that impairs the student’s ability to meet the School’s standards, even after implementation of all reasonable accommodations have been made by the School.

Recommendations

• No otherwise qualified individual will be denied admission to the School of Nurse Anesthesia based solely upon a disabling condition.
• Candidates with disabilities applying to the School of Nurse Anesthesia will be expected to have achieved the same requirements as their non-disabled peers.
• Matriculation into the School of Nurse Anesthesia assumes certain levels of cognitive, emotional, and technical skills. Nurse anesthetist candidates with disabilities will be held to the same fundamental standards as their non-disabled peers. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to assist the candidates in learning, performing, and satisfying the fundamental standards, so long as the candidate provides timely, comprehensive documentation establishing the candidate’s disability status and need for reasonable accommodation.
• Reasonable accommodations that facilitate candidate progress will be provided but only to the extent that such accommodation does not significantly interfere with the essential functions of the School of Nurse Anesthesia, fundamentally alter the program, significantly affect the rights of other candidates, or pose a health or safety risk to any individual including patients.
• The School of Nurse Anesthesia, under the law, is obligated to provide all reasonable accommodations that will eliminate or minimize the barriers disabled candidates may face in the process of successfully completing the requirements for graduation from the SWAG��Ƶ’s School of Nurse Anesthesia.

Abilities and Skills

A candidate for this program must have abilities and skills of five (5) varieties including observational skills; communication skills; fine and gross motor skills; intellectual skills: conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; and behavioral and social/emotional attributes.

Observational Skills

The candidate must be able to acquire a defined level of required information as presented through demonstration and experiences in the basic sciences and anesthesia courses including, but not limited to, information conveyed through labs and simulated anesthesia exercises. Furthermore, a candidate must be able to observe a patient accurately, both at a distance and close at hand, acquire information from written documents and visualize information as presented in radiographic images and patient monitors. The candidate must have visual and hearing acuity, including use of depth perception and peripheral vision; hearing normal and faint body sounds (blood pressure and heart sounds), and hearing auditory alarms on monitors and anesthesia delivery systems. Such observation and information acquisition necessitate the functional use of visual, auditory, and somatic sensation while being enhanced by the functional use of other sensory modalities.

In any case, where a candidate’s ability to observe or acquire information through these sensory modalities is compromised, the candidate must demonstrate alternative means and/or abilities to acquire and demonstrate the essential information without reliance upon another person’s interpretation of the information. The university will provide appropriate reasonable accommodations to foster the student’s ability to meet these standards, so long as the student registers with SWAG��Ƶ Student Access Center.

Communication Skills

The candidate must be able to effectively and efficiently communicate using verbal, written, and reading skills, in a manner that demonstrates sensitivity to patients, their families, and all members of the health care team. A candidate must be able to accurately elicit information, describe a patient’s change in mood, thought, activity, and status. The candidate must also demonstrate established communication skills using traditional or alternative reasonable means that do not substantially modify the standard.

Fine and Gross Motor Skills

The candidate must be able to, with or without the use of assistive devices, but without reliance on another person, interpret x-ray and other graphic images and digital or analog representations of physiologic phenomenon (such as EKGs).

The ability to participate in basic diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers and procedures (e.g. palpation, auscultation) is required. It is also essential for a candidate to possess the gross motor skills sufficient to provide a full range of safe and effective care to patients. These include the ability to move within confined spaces, reach above shoulders, bend, stoop, squat, stretch, and reach below the waist. Fine motor skills are necessary to perform psychomotor skills such as picking up objects, grasping, pinching with fingers (intubations, manipulating a syringe, starting IVs), twisting, and squeezing.

Physical stamina sufficient to complete the rigorous course of didactic and clinical study is required. In addition, physical endurance and strength are requirements in order to tolerate training during an entire shift (including overtime or call), standing for long periods of time, and sustaining repetitive movements (performing CPR, positive pressure ventilation, etc). Candidates must be able to provide hands-on patient care such as lifting, pushing, and pulling excessive weight to position patients, pick up and carry children, ambulate patients, and transfer anesthetized patients from stretchers and beds. When transporting patients to patient recovery areas, the candidate is required to move not only the patient's weight but also the heavy bed.

The candidate is required to carry heavy equipment and supplies, sit for long periods of time on stools with and without any back support, twist and turn to visualize monitors and the surgical field, and possess the strength and flexibility to assist in the restraint of combative patients. In addition, the candidate must be able to move quickly to respond to emergencies. At all times the ability to administer care to patients in a safe manner is paramount.

Intellectual Skills: Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities

The candidate must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize information in a timely fashion. In addition, the candidate must be able to comprehend three (3)-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structure. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of nurse anesthetists, requires all of these intellectual abilities. These problem-solving skills must be able to be performed in a precisely limited time demanded by a given clinical setting. In addition, the candidate must be able to adapt readily to changing environments and deal with unexpected activities.

Behavioral and Social/Emotional Attributes

Candidates must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients.

Candidates must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients. They must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize information effectively in a precisely limited time demanded by a given clinical setting, while under stress, and in an environment in which other distractions may be present.

Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, self-reflection, emotional intelligence, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational processes.

Upon completion of this educational program, the student shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the faculty, specific competencies expected of graduates. These competencies identify the knowledge and skills necessary for the competent entry-level practice of nurse anesthesia. Upon completion of the program, the graduate will:

• Demonstrate understanding of the peri-anesthetic management of patients based on theory and research evidence learned in the basic sciences, basic principles, and advanced principles of anesthesia practice during the didactic phase of the program.
• Apply theoretical and evidence-based knowledge learned during the didactic phase of the program and demonstrate mastery in the peri-anesthetic management of the patient in the clinical setting to provide individualized, patient-centered, culturally competent, safe care across the lifespan.
• Communicate effectively with all health care professionals, patients, and families in the delivery of culturally competent, ethical, and peri-anesthetic care throughout the anesthesia experience while maintaining patient confidentiality and dignity.
• Demonstrate vigilance and adherence to patient safety principles throughout the anesthetic experience.
• Demonstrate professional responsibility, integrity, and accountability to peers, interprofessional colleagues, and other health care stakeholders throughout the program and peri-anesthetic clinical experiences.
• Demonstrate the ability and understanding to administer anesthesia utilizing all techniques to all physical classes of patients across the lifespan.
• Demonstrate the integration of critical and reflective thinking in the leadership approach while fostering interprofessional collaboration.
• Apply analytical processes in the areas of advocacy, health policy, quality improvement of patient care outcomes, information systems, and business practices to support and improve healthcare delivery systems.

Transfer Credit

No transfer credit will be awarded for prior coursework.

Advanced Standing

No advanced standing track is available.

Experiential Learning

No credit will be awarded for experiential learning.

application process

• All applicants are required to apply online through .
• All verified applications received on or before the application deadline will receive full admission consideration.
• All verified applications undergo preliminary review for minimum admissions requirements and documentation.
• Qualified applicants will move on to full admission review with the faculty admissions committee.
• Highly qualified applicants will be invited to interview. Interviews are done by invitation only.
• SWAG��Ƶ communicates all status updates, notifications, and admission decisions via email.

For specific academic dates, please view the SWAG��Ƶ academic calendar.

Application Requirements

Items to submit to NursingCAS:

• Application with application fee
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Resume
• Proof of current unencumbered RN license
• Copies of required certifications/score reports: ACLS & PALS
• Proof of satisfactory completion of Statistics prerequisite course.
• Proof of satisfactory completion of Biochemistry Prerequisite*

*If you are unsure whether or not a specific biochemistry course will count towards our prerequisite requirement, please submit the . Your submission will be reviewed and a reply will be sent to you via email within five (5) to seven (7) business days.

Degree Requirement

Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) in Nursing or completion of an Associate’s Degree in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science degree in a science-related field of study.

All degrees must have been completed at a U.S. regionally accredited college/university or international equivalent, and all nursing degrees must have been completed at an accredited nursing program, before starting the Nurse Anesthesia program.

Licensure and Certifications

• Proof of current unencumbered RN licensure in your home state at the time of application; licensure in the state where clinical experience occurs is obtained after enrollment
• Upload copies of all licenses and certifications in NursingCAS
• Certifications Required:
  • Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) 
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Certifications highly recommended:
  • CCRN and/or other specialty certification (i.e., CEN)
    • Upload copy of certification in NursingCAS
    • Upload score report in NursingCAS

GPA Requirement

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required, with additional emphasis on science courses.
• Coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology specifically is recommended and will be reviewed closely.
• Due to the program’s competitive nature, meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee an interview or acceptance.

Experience Hours/Clinical Experience

All applicants are encouraged to shadow a nurse anesthetist for at least one (1) day in the operating room prior to application to more fully understand the commitment involved in studying to become a nurse anesthetist.

• Minimum of eighteen (18) months experience as a critical care nurse. Two (2) or more years is recommended.
• All experience hours must be completed prior to application submission.
• All experience hours must be completed within the United States.

Acceptable areas: ICU, CCU, CVICU, SICU, MICU, NICU, PICU and Neuro ICU*

*Important Note: Emergency Room, Critical Care Transport, Cath Lab, PACU, and OR experiences do not fulfill the critical care experience required to apply.

Prerequisite Coursework Requirements

Biochemistry (3-4 semester credits)

• Must be an upper-division course (300-level or above).
• Community College courses are not acceptable.
• Biochemistry must be completed with a grade of “B” or better (“B minus” grade is not acceptable).
• Biochemistry course must have been completed no more than five (5) years prior to the application deadline for the SWAG��Ƶ Nurse Anesthesia program.

Statistics (3 semester credits)

• Must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better ("C minus" grade is not acceptable).

All planned or in-progress coursework should be listed on the NursingCAS application at the time of application submission. Not doing so may result in the applicant not meeting all admissions requirements and therefore may not be eligible for admission review.

All prerequisite coursework must be successfully completed, with an official transcript submitted to NursingCAS no later than the final application deadline.

Online courses offered through as well as online courses from other regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities are acceptable.

Letters of Evaluation

Three (3) letters of evaluation are required, submitted via NursingCAS:

• One letter must be from the immediate acute care nursing supervisor or manager attesting to the total length of time, in years and months that an applicant has worked in the acute care setting as a registered nurse.
• It is recommended that the remaining two (2) letters come from those who can attest to the clinical and professional skills of the applicant.
• Letters from friends or family members are not acceptable.

Interviews

Interviews are a required part of the application process:

• Qualified applicants will be contacted and invited to interview during the winter/spring months, prior to the fall start of the Nurse Anesthesia program.
• Interviews are done by invitation only.
• Alternate interview modalities may be instituted at the discretion of the Nurse Anesthesia program, as deemed necessary. Applicants will be notified immediately if changes to the format or timing of interviews occur at any point during the application cycle. 

International Applicants

International applicants and those with foreign degrees and coursework are required to satisfy the following additional requirements:

• Official credential evaluation by , confirming degree and grade equivalency to that of a U.S. Bachelor's Degree. Please refer to the International Admissions section of the SWAG��Ƶ website for more information on the type of credential evaluation required for admission review.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate written and spoken fluency through the successful completion of an English language proficiency test.
• Applicants should refer to the English Language Proficiency webpage on the SWAG��Ƶ website for specific information and minimum score requirements.
• Minimum eighteen (18) months of Critical Care experience must be completed in the United States.

Other Requirements

Prior to matriculation, accepted and deposited students will be required to complete the following additional compliance requirements:

• Completion of physical examination with proof of up-to-date immunization status. Please refer to SWAG��Ƶ’s Student Health Center for detailed information.
• Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen prior to matriculation, as well as periodically throughout the program (as required by clinical affiliations).
• All students must have the ability to meet the Academic and Technical Standards of the Nurse Anesthesia profession.

All materials submitted as part of the application become the property of SWAG��Ƶ and will not be returned or released to anyone, including the applicant. This policy includes letters of reference, primary and secondary applications, personal statements, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

Policy Exceptions

• Policies are established to ensure fair and consistent admissions practice for all applicants to the university and its programs.
• All criteria presented in this summary are subject to change per professional accreditation requirements, changes in curriculum and/or other institutional standards, and clinical affiliation requirements.
• Exceptions to existing admission policies are rare and made only when it is deemed necessary and appropriate to maintain fair and consistent practice for all candidates, not individual candidates.

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Miscellaneous fees that students should plan for in the program include but may not be limited to the following (approximate amounts):

Financial Aid

Detailed information and applications are available on request from the Financial Aid Office at the Biddeford Campus. Call (207) 283-0170, ext. 2342 or by visiting the Financial Aid website.