York College / Wellspan Health is one of twelve CRNA schools in Pennsylvania. May 2017 will begin their first DNP class.
York College of Pennsylvania & WellSpan Health (YCP & WH)
Nurse Anesthetist Program
441 Country Club Road Diehl Hall #240
York, PA 17403
Contact Information
Jason Lowe, CRNA, Ph.D., Program Director, WellSpan Health
email: jlowe1@ycp.edu
Dr. Karen March, Chairperson of Dept. of Nursing at York College
Kevin Stierer, MD, Medical Director, York Hospital
For General Nursing Admission Questions:
Stacey Holtzman, CRNA Program Administrative Assistant
sholtzman@ycp.edu
ph: 717-815-6550
f: 717-849-1651
crna@ycp.edu
Quick Facts
CRNA Degree offered
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Post-Master’s DNP (completion)
Program Length
36 months, full time
Credit Hours
102 credit hours
Starting Month
May
Application Deadline
Application due date is April 1 of each year for a fall semester start for the following year.
Entire Program Cost of CRNA School at WellSpan Health and York College.
Please note that tuition is calculated at the current 2017-2018 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: $94,860
*Fees and expenses: $9,590
Grand Total: $104,450
*This estimate is supplied by all-crna-schools.com and includes the average cost of textbooks, application fee, and general fee.
York College and WellSpan Health Tuition Link
Class Size
12-14
Number of Applicants
On average, 70-80 students apply each year. If you are selected for an interview, you will be notified approximately four to six weeks after the application deadline and scheduled for the interview within the following month. Approximately 4 times the number of available slots will be invited to interview.
When did this CRNA Program begin?
2006
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 WellSpan Health and York College compare to most CRNA school’s requirements.
CRNA Program Requirements
Required Bachelor Degree
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or equivalent from an NLNAC or CCNE accredited institution. You may apply to the program while you’re completing your BSN. Acceptance to the program will be contingent on successful completion of your degree.
RN:
Current RN licensure in Pennsylvania, current home state licensure is acceptable during the application period.
Critical Care:
A minimum of one year of acute care experience in the role of a Registered Nurse is required. Most students who are accepted into the program have 2-4 years acute care experience. Experience must be in personally caring for patients with invasive monitoring devices such as:
- arterial line
- central venous pressure line
- pulmonary artery occlusion catheters
It must also include:
- vasoactive infusions
- ECG interpretation
- caring for mechanically ventilated patients
Though the program is more interested in the quality of your nursing experience than the unit’s name, most students obtain their experience in the following units:
- Surgical ICU
- Cardiothoracic ICU
- Trauma
- Medical ICU
If the majority of your experience is with neonatal or pediatric patients, ensure that you have some background providing care for adult patients, as most of your education will be in this venue.
GPA:
Grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher. Students not meeting this grade point average requirement may be admitted to conditional status on the recommendation of the faculty.
GRE:
You must submit GRE scores in the verbal, quantitative sections, analytical writing sections. Don’t let a GRE score of less than 1000 dissuade you from applying. A low-end GRE (900 on combined verbal and quantitative) is NOT something which will keep you out of the program.
International Students:
Applicants whose first language is not English must achieve a minimum score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Graduates of foreign nursing programs must also have transcripts and application materials evaluated by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.
Certifications:
- BLS (Basic Life Support)
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
- PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
Shadow a CRNA for a minimum of 8 hours
You must follow their specific guidelines on this and obtain a letter of recommendation from a CRNA. See their site for details.
Course Prerequisites
- Statistics (must cover descriptive and inferential statistics)
- Physical Assessment
- Nursing Research
Recommended Courses
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Physics
- Organic chemistry
- Biochemistry
You may wish to consider additional education in those areas of the sciences in which you feel you are weak.
WellSpan Health and York College’s CRNA program website
CRNA School Performance
CRNA School Rankings – Schools by Rank
Currently ranked #55 based on the graduating class of 2015.
*Please note: These CRNA rankings are now based on actual data and performance rather than opinion!. Read disclaimer about how CRNA rankings are created.*
Accredited CRNA Programs are reviewed regularly.
WellSpan Health and York College Nurse Anesthetist Program was last reviewed 05/2012. It was given the maximum of 10 years accreditation and will be reviewed again 05/2022. This shows that the program is in full compliance with the COA’s accreditation standards.
Pass Rate for CRNA Boards at WellSpan Health and York College
Please note: It is extremely rare for a student at any CRNA school to not eventually pass the exam. Most students who don’t pass the first time pass the second. Very rarely does a person ever take it a third time. This statistic only measures how well the program prepares students to pass the test the first time around.
- First-time test takers: 100% (for 2017)
- National average (2016): 84.5%
Attrition Rate
0% (2016)
Employment Rate
100% (2017)
An average nurse anesthetist salary in Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania CRNA salaries are slightly lower than the national average around $160k.
An average annual nurse anesthetist salary in the US is $173,129 (according to a 2016 study)
- Rural average: $174,214
- Metropolitan average: $164,148
- Suburban average: $156,630
- Average starting CRNA salaries range from: $110,000-$130,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to improve my chances of getting accepted?
They have a section called “Tips” for a successful application. It’s at the very bottom of the FAQ page. It’s very helpful, even if you decide to apply to a different school. The advice is somewhat universal.
Can I work as an RN while I’m in the program?
Outside employment is discouraged because of the intense nature of the program.
All information given on this site about WellSpan Health and York College’s Nurse Anesthetist Program was taken directly from their website.
*This page was updated January 24th, 2018.*
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