The Doctor of Nursing Practice program with specialization in nurse anesthesia at the Ellmer School of Nursing is a 36-month, full-time program that begins in May each year. Our program is a hybrid of on-campus and on-line classes.
The curriculum is an assimilation of nurse anesthesia specialty and D.N.P. courses. Each student is required to complete a scholarly project that addresses patient care, quality improvement, process improvement, or practice improvement.
Program Data
| Statistics | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree Completion Rate | 100% | 100% | 87.5% |
| Attrition Rate | 0% | 0% | 12.5% |
| First-Time NCE Pass Rate | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Employment Rate within 6 months of Graduation | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Why Choose the ODU Nurse Anesthesia Program?
- Personalized learning with cohorts of 30 students
- Commitment to Student Wellness
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Diverse Clinical Placements
- Comprehensive Simulation Training
- Outstanding National Certification Success
- Student satisfaction: Comment examples include:
- “Faculty always has my back”
- “Faculty really want me to succeed”
- “We are exposed to much of the political realm of anesthesia which I feel many other programs are lacking”
- “Our variety of sites allows us the ability to see independent CRNA practice and other versions of what CRNAs can do. It’s not a run of the mill program.”
Expand Your Career Today
Learn about the graduate application process and deadlines. Why wait?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Baccalaureate Degree in a related science. Nursing Preferred.
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Current Multistate Licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse. All prospective students must have an unencumbered current licensure as a registered professional nurse or APRN from the United States or its territories.
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GPA Requirements: Cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale and grades in each required science and nursing course in the undergraduate nursing program of 3.0 or higher.
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Official GRE scores
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Undergraduate courses: You must have completed the following courses with a “B” or better:
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Anatomy
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Physiology
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Pathophysiology
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Pharmacology
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Organic chemistry OR biochemistry courses
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Chemistry and Statistics, successfully completed within 10 years of applying to the program.
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Personal Interview: A personal interview with the interview committee (by invitation).
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Experience: A minimum of two years of full-time nursing experience in a critical care unit at the time of application.
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Current in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
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CCRN certification is mandatory.
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References: Three professional references. One must be from immediate supervisor with contact number included.
We require a $2,000.00 fee to hold admission. This fee is non-refundable if you withdraw your application after you have accepted a position. If you matriculate into the program this fee is applied back to your tuition in your second semester.
Acceptable critical care experience includes ICU, SICU, CCU, MICU, or PICU and high acuity surgical ICU experience. Experience in a tertiary medical center is strongly preferred.
Unfortunately, due to the number of applicants the program receives not all applicants will be asked to interview. Interviewees will be notified by e-mail.
The application deadline is July 15th each year.
Program Contacts
Clinical Assistant Professor
Ellmer School of Nursing
Program Faculty
The Old Dominion University Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs: www.coacrna.org.
Recently reaccredited for 10 years through Fall 2034.
The COA offices are located at:
10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906, Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
Phone: 224-275-9130
Email: accreditation@coacrna.org