The Nurse Anesthesia Concentration at Knoxville was established in 2000.
University of Tennessee Knoxville CRNA at a Glance…
University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Concentration 1930 Alcoa Hwy. Suite 430 Knoxville, TN 37920
Contact Information Donald M Bell, CRNA, DNSc, APN, Program Director/Concentration Coordinator Joan L Creasia, RN, PhD, Dean ph: (865) 305-7762 fax: (865) 305-6852 email: dbell@utmck.edu
Quick Facts
CRNA Degree (s) offered Master of Science in Nursing, Post-Master's Certificate
Program Length 31 months, full time
Credit Hours 95 semester hours without thesis, 98 hours with thesis (these credit hours include clinical practicum; many crna programs only count didactic courses in this figure.)
Starting Month(s) January
Application Deadline February 1st. Selected applicants are interviewed in April. You will know if you were accepted within 4 to 6 weeks of your interview. Please note that early application is encouraged.
Tuition is calculated at the 2011-2012 rate. Tuition at most schools increases each academic year. Over the duration of the program, expect to pay a tuition that is 5% to 15% higher than what is shown here.
Cost of In State Tuition: $34,032 *Fees and expenses: $3,855 Grand Total: $37,887
Cost of Out of State Tuition: $96,552 *Fees and expenses: $3,855 Grand Total: $100,407
*Fees and expenses does not cover personal health care which is a requirement.
Liability insurance (about $25 per year) is also required and will be added to student fees. This cost is also not included in the estimate.
Class Size 15. Approximately 30-45 fully qualified applicants are interviewed each year.
Number of Applicants “A large number of applicants. The number is highly variable and the total number has been steadily rising each of the past several years.”
When did this CRNA Program begin? The Knoxville concentration was started in 2000, but a nurse anesthesia program has been functional at the primary clinical site since 1963. From 1992 and onwards, graduates were awarded the Master of Science in Nursing.
Are you concerned that University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Nurse Anesthesia Program won’t give you the specific experiences or training you need to be a successful CRNA? Learn what standards CRNA Programs must meet in order to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia (COA).
University of Tennessee Knoxville’s CRNA program (as well as all others that are accredited by the COA) prepares you to take the CCNA certification exam at the conclusion of the program, allowing you to become a CRNA.
Didactic Curriculum “The CRNA curriculum at University of Tennessee Knoxville contains didactic classes in the principles and practices of anesthesia (both general and regional) for all types of patients undergoing surgical and diagnostic procedures in all specialty areas. These include general surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatrics, OB/Gyn, cardiac, vascular and thoracic surgery.
“Considerable course work is devoted to pathophysiology and pharmacology. Courses also cover the theoretical considerations of practice, professional issues and research.”
“Students select either a thesis or a non-thesis option. Students selecting the non-thesis option take three (3) hours of N582 and take a Comprehensive Final Examination. Students selecting the thesis option will take six (6) hours of N500 and the defense of their thesis serves as their Comprehensive Final Examination.”
Clinical Practicum As an integrated program, clinical anesthesia practicum begins Fall semester of your first year of study and continues throughout the remainder of the program.
In preparation of your clinical experience, all students will be exposed to numerous simulation exercises in the Human Anesthesia Simulation Laboratory (HASL) in the first Summer semester.
A supervised call experience begins in October of the third semester.
Clinical Sites “The primary clinical site for University of Tennessee Knoxville’s CRNA program is the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, a 581-bed Acute Care Teaching Hospital and a Level-I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, which offers a wide range of clinical experiences to student registered nurse anesthetists.
Additionally, the following clinical facilities are utilized for curricular enrichment and supplementation:
Looking for something specific? Find CRNA schools categorized by their unique requirements.
Some CRNA schools require much more out of their applicants than others. See how the requirements at University of Tennessee Knoxville compare to most CRNA school’s requirements.
CRNA Program Requirements Required Bachelor Degree A Bachelor of Science (BSN) degree from a regionally accredited college/university.
RN: Current RN license. Tennessee license required prior to matriculation.
Critical Care: A minimum of one-year (by the time of the program start date), current, full-time, adult ICU experience as an RN.
Acceptable critical care experience includes: invasive hemodynamic monitoring and utilization of vasoactive intravenous medications were a routine occurrence.
ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
Coronary Care Unit
Surgical ICU
Trauma ICU
Medical ICU
Cardiovascular ICU
They do not accept:
ER (Emergency Room)
ICN (Intensive Care Nursery/ Neonatal ICU)
PARR (Post Anesthesia Recovery Room)li>
NOTE: Applicants not actively engaged as an RN delivering direct patient care in an adult ICU should speak with the Program Director before applying to the program.
The highest priority is given to applicants who are currently working in a high acuity, large hospital ICU setting where they are likely to have a broad base of experiences.
GPA: A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
Minimum GRE scores: A minimum combined score of 1000 or greater on the qualitative and verbal sections suggested. No other examinations, such as the MAT, GMAT, LSAT, or MCAT, are accepted.
To be sure the University of Tennessee Knoxville receives your GRE scores in time, allow for 12 weeks between your test date and the application deadline (Feb 1st).
International Students: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants whose native tongue is not English, with a minimum score of 550 via paper examination or 215 via computerized examination (earned within two years prior to application).
Shadow a CRNA for a day Though this is not required, it is strongly encouraged, as it will give you a more thorough understanding of the profession and ensure that it is the right career path for you.
Certifications:
ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
*CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse)
Although the CCRN certification is not required, it is highly recommended and applicants who possessspecialty certification will be given priority consideration.
Course Prerequisites A graduate-level course in statistics from a regionally accredited college/university with a grade of 'B', or better.
NOTE: This criterion must be completed prior to the start of classes in January.
“Undergraduate courses in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, pharmacology, and biochemistry are strongly recommended.
Each applicant should assess their own strengths and weaknesses and may wish to supplement their knowledge through coursework in any area they personally deem to be of weakness. This preparation, however, is completely voluntary on your part.”
Accredited CRNA Programs are reviewed regularly. University of Tennessee Knoxville Nurse Anesthetist Program was last reviewed 10/2004. It was given the maximum of 10 years accreditation and will be reviewed again 10/2014. This shows that the program is in full compliance with the COA’s accreditation standards.
How to be a competitive applicant “Successful applicants of University of Tennessee Knoxville are highly motivated; typically have several years of critical care experience, strong GPAs and GRE scores, and many have taken additional courses in advanced sciences such as physiology, organic chemistry or biochemistry.”
You will be rated on the following criteria:
Overall GPA
GRE scores
Personal Essay
Graduate Rating Forms
Personal Interview
Duration and type of ICU work experience
CCRN certification. Although not required, applicants with CCRN cert. will be given priority consideration.
Personal Leave, Holidays and Sick Leave “In addition to holidays as detailed in the following paragraphs, all student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) will be given 15 days of personal time off (PTO) each year beginning September 1 and ending August 31 annually. The only exception to the PTO policy occurs during fall semester of your first year of the program where transitional SRNAs will be off as follows:
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving (constitutes 1 PTO day)
Christmas Day thru New Years Day (constitutes 4 PTO days)
The remaining ten PTO days can be scheduled between January 2 and August 31. This is subject to change based on the calendar placement of the holidays.”
Can I work as an RN while I’m in the program? “Due to the intensity and workload of the graduate curriculum and practicum, students are discouraged from working. If students elect to work part-time, they may do so as long as academic and clinical performance are not compromised.”
Do they offer courses online? I live outside of Knoxville and it’s too far to drive every day. “No, [they] do not offer courses online. Some courses have an online component, but applicants must plan on being full time students, convenient to campus.”
