This page was last updated in 2022.
After reviewing Wake Forest School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Program’s CRNA program page, I was impressed by their thorough quiz that shows you how you measure up as an applicant.
Wake Forest
Nurse Anesthesia Program
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Nurse Anesthesia Program
525 Vine Street, Suite 230
Winston Salem, NC 27101
Contact Information
Michael Rieker, DNP, CRNA, Program Director
ph: (336) 716-1411
fax: (336) 716-1411
email: napinfo@wakehealth.edu
mrieker@wakehealth.edu
Quick Facts
CRNA Degree offered
DNP, Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia
Program Length
36 months
Credit Hours
84 credit hours
Starting Month
August
Application Deadline
The CRNA program has moved to a virtual rolling admissions process. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis and applicants may be invited to a virtual interview, held monthly. Offers are granted on a first-come, first-serve basis to qualified applicants.
2020 Statistics
For the 2020 interview season, candidates had Intensive Care Unit experience of 1.9 years and RN experience of 3.02 years.
Entire Program Cost of CRNA School at Wake Forest School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Program
Tuition is based on the 2021-2022 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 Tuition: $109,950
*Fees and expenses: $14,794
Grand Total: $124,744
*Fees and program fees. You will still be responsible for health insurance.
Class Size
24
Number of Applicants
150 applicants. 60-70 interviews. They also implemented a new policy of early decision allowing them to make decisions and send acceptance offers to highly-qualified applicants who submit their application early in the year.
When did this CRNA Program begin?
1942
CRNA Program Summary
Are you concerned that Wake Forest School of Medicine 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).
The CRNA program at Wake Forest School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia 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.
Formal classes begin in August of each year. The clinical component is organized into an “in-residence” model, with clinical education provided year-round, interspersed with academic courses. The three-year curriculum offered after 2021 will consist of one year of full-time online study from home, followed by 2 years (6 semesters) of study on site.
Once relocated to our area in year 2, the Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA) Program curriculum is an integrated design that’s centered on rich clinical experiences that prepare you for advanced nursing practice.
You’ll complete clinical training that includes approximately 800 cases with over 2,500 hours of clinical practicum experience. These anesthesia cases include pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, open heart, neurological, plastic, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, urology, orthopedics, radiological and transplant procedures. Both elective and emergency anesthetics are given.
Students obtain clinical experience at a variety of affiliated sites that provide broad exposure to anesthetic practice.
Program Requirements
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 Wake Forest School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Program compare to most CRNA school’s requirements.
CRNA Program Requirements
Do you feel confident as an applicant to Wake Forest School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Program? Don’t just go off of a feeling, find out if you have what they are looking for and quite helpful.
Required Bachelor Degree
Baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) or degree in a related field from an accredited program (NLNAC, CCNE, or regional accreditation). If you are an experienced nurse, you may be granted an interview if you are in your last semester of your BSN program. Average of GPA 3.68 in 2020.
RN:
Current licensure as a registered nurse – (NC licensure required for matriculation)
Critical Care:
A minimum of one year (2,080 hours) of full-time experience within the 2 years prior to application in an intensive care (ICU) or coronary care unit (CCU).
Clinical experience must involve:
- Direct patient care
- Independent decision-making (experience in orientation or in managerial positions is not applicable)
Examples of experiences most applicable to nurse anesthesia study include:
- Management of vasoactive infusions
- Invasive monitors
- Ventilator modalities
- Sedative and paralytic drugs
- Blood test interpretation
The broader range of experiences you have, the easier nurse anesthesia school will be for you.
Though the following types of experience reflect well on an applicant’s diversity of experience, they will not be considered as meeting the minimum one-year requirement.
- Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
- Emergency Department (ED)
- Step-down
- Surgery
Experience as an RN in surgical, medical, trauma, neonatal, cardiovascular, neuro, burn or pediatric ICU is acceptable, as is coronary care unit experience. Each of these practice areas brings its own advantages in terms of preparation of the nurse. As a CRNA student, you’ll care for patients who are neonatal to 100 years old, and you’ll have to be equally comfortable with drug dosing, age-related factors and more for all of them.
GPA:
A minimum GPA of 3.0 in nursing and supporting courses. However, a GPA less than 3.5 without good academic indicators otherwise may be considered less competitive. A high GPA based upon a large number of transfer credits or non-nursing courses may not be considered adequate.
If your GPA is on the low end (3.0) you may consider taking some graduate courses. Performance in sciences such as pharmacology, pathophysiology, or chemistry are good ways to demonstrate your academic ability in technical graduate-level courses.
They look at the cumulative GPA and nursing courses. Many applicants take some of their core courses at UNCG or other graduate coursework before or while applying. Performance in relevant graduate coursework is weighed in their assessment, as well.
GRE:
Satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination within the past 5 years.
Individual area GRE scores should exceed approximately the 50th percentile (Approximately 300 for the combined quantitative and verbal score)
As these measures are meant to predict your ability in graduate study, consideration of significant graduate-level work completed may outweigh the impact of your standardized scores.
International Students:
Foreign applicants or those with very low GRE verbal scores will be required to demonstrate a TOEFL score of at least 600.
Certifications:
- BLS (Basic Life Support)
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
Undergraduate Course Prerequisites
- Statistics (must include inferential)
- Chemistry (organic chemistry is not required but definitely helpful)
- Health Assessment
Shadow a CRNA
Recommended, not required
Wake Forest Nurse Anesthesia Program
CRNA School Performance
Accredited CRNA Programs are reviewed regularly.
Wake Forest School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Program was last reviewed 10/2015. It was given the maximum of 10 years accreditation standards.
First Time Test Takers – Certification Exam: 96% (2020)
Attrition Rate: 0% (2020)
Employment Rate: 100% (2020)
CRNA Salaries
An average nurse anesthetist salary in Wake Forest Nurse Anesthesia Program, North Carolina.
North Carolina CRNA salaries are slightly above the national average with an annual mean wage of $192,850.
An average annual nurse anesthetist salary in the US is $189,190 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 study)
Other Programs Offered
Global Health Certificate Program
A program for students interested in international health care. This is a 24-month program that runs concurrently with the anesthesia program, and students receive a Certificate in Global Health from Wake Forest School of Medicine.
Lifespan Development Courses
They also provide extensive Lifespan Development courses to prospective and entering students to help ensure their success in anesthesia school.
All information given on this site about Wake Forest School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Program was taken directly from their website or questions were answered from the program director.
Salaries pulled from Bureau of Labor Statistics
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