This page was last updated in 2022.
Samuel Merritt University has a great reputation, both with employers and is centered in the heart of the Bay Area.
Samuel Merritt university
program of nurse anesthesia
School of Nursing – Providence Pavilion
3100 Summit Street, 3rd Floor
Oakland, CA 94609
Contact Information
Joseph Janakes, CRNA, MSN, Program Director
email: jjanakes@samuelmerritt.edu
Admissions
ph: (800) 607-6377
admissions@samuelmerritt.edu
Quick Facts
CRNA Degree offered
Master of Science in Nursing
Program Length
27 months, full time
Credit Hours
66-semester units
Starting Month
September
Application Deadline
February 1 and need to be submitted through NursingCAS.
Interview invitations are sent out mid-January with interviews being held mid-February.
Entire Cost of CRNA School for Samuel Merritt university program of nurse anesthesia.
Tuition is calculated at the 2019-2020 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: $98,604
*Fees and expenses: $14,380
Grand Total: $112,984
*Kaiser Permanente is competitively awarding $10,000 per year for 2 years ($20,000) to 20 applicants, forgivable after graduation if you are employed by a Northern California Kaiser facility.
**There is an annual health insurance fee of $4,370 if the student does not already hold health insurance elsewhere that is included in the fees quote above.
Samuel Merritt University Tuition Link
This is a good link to show the break down of tuition and estimated cost of books included.
Class Size
28
Number of Applicants
107
CRNA Program Summary
Are you concerned that the Samuel Merritt university program of nurse anesthesia 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).
This 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.
Consistent with most CRNA Programs, Samuel Merritt University is mostly front-loaded. As a student here, your heaviest class load will be your first semester (19) units). During your second semester, you’ll finish up the bulk of your classes and gain an introduction to clinical anesthesia. This will help you put all of your knowledge in perspective.
You will continue your didactic learning through the remainder of the program, with increasing emphasis on your clinical experience. The following clinical experiences will prepare you for the full scope of practice in nurse anesthesia:
- General and regional techniques
- Conscious sedation
- Ancillary services such as pain management
- Interventional radiology procedures
- Emergency airway management
Under close and acuity levels.
The graduates of Samuel Merritt University all reported that they were well prepared to enter the employment field as CRNAs and felt fully competent to assume their professional role.
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 Samuel Merritt University compare to most CRNA school’s requirements.
Samuel Merritt CRNA Requirements
BSN
Bachelor of Science in Nursing is preferred. RNs with baccalaureate degrees in other fields will be evaluated individually and additional coursework may be required.
RN:
Current California licensure as a registered nurse – may be obtained after you’re accepted, must be available for new student orientation.
Critical Care:
One year ICU experience at the time of interview required. Two to three years of critical care nursing experience is preferred. Experience must be within the last 5 years.
Acceptable critical care experience includes:
- Surgical ICU (including trauma, post-cardiovascular surgery, and neurosurgical specialty units)
- Medical ICU (coronary care, pulmonary care, and other medical sub-specialty units)
- Pediatric ICU
- Neonatal ICU
They do NOT accept:
- Emergency Room
- PACU
GPA:
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 – average is 3.4.
Minimum last 60 semester or 90 quarter unit GPA of 3.0 – average is 3.6.
Minimum GRE scores:
No minimum score required. Must have been taken within the last 5 years.
TOEFL:
For international students, the need for the TOEFL will be assessed based on information provided by the applicant on the application for admission. If it is needed, students will need to submit official TOEFL scores report, with a score of 100 or higher for TOEFL.
Certifications may be obtained after you’re accepted:
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
- PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
- BSL (Basic Life Support)
- CCRN highly recommended
Shadowing Experience
Completion of a minimum of 8 hours of clinical shadowing experience with a CRNA or physician anesthesiologist.
Course Prerequisites
- College Chemistry: Content to include inorganic, organic and/or biochemistry (6 – 8 semester units total)
- Statistics (3 semester units)
- Intro to Physics: Highly recommended (3 semester units)
Student Profile
The following information provides a snapshot of the student profile for those recently admitted into the nurse anesthesia program:
- Applicants – 175
- Admitted – 27
- Cumulative GPA – avg: 3.4
- GPA in last 60 units – avg: 3.6
- GPA in science prerequisites – avg: 3.2
- GRE quantitative – avg. cumul.: 311
Samuel Merritt university program of nurse anesthesia
CRNA School Performance
Accredited CRNA Programs are reviewed regularly.
Samuel Merritt University Nurse Anesthetist Program was last reviewed 05/2014. It was given 10 years accreditation and will be reviewed again 05/2024. This shows that the program is very stable.
Pass Rate for CRNA Boards at Samuel Merritt University
First-time test takers: 88% (3-year average 2017-2019)
national average: 84.8% (2019)
Attrition Rate: 0% (3-year average 2017-2019)
CRNA Employment Rate: 100% (3-year average 2017-2019)
CRNA Salaries
An average nurse anesthetist salary in California
California CRNA salaries are among the highest in the U.S., largely because of the higher cost of living. Salaries average around $227,290.
An average annual nurse anesthetist salary in the US is $184,140 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 study)
Salaries pulled from Bureau of Labor Statistics
All information given on this site about Samuel Merritt university program of nurse anesthesia was taken directly from their website.
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