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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE KU NURSE ANESTHESIA PROGRAM
What nursing experience do I need to be admitted to your program?
Do I need a full year of intensive care experience before I submit my application?
Do you require the GRE?
Do I need to have met all the prerequisites before I apply?
What should I do if I took physiology more than 10 years ago?
What if I only have one semester of a combined anatomy/physiology class?
What if I only have one semester of chemistry?
Does my bachelor's degree have to be in nursing?
I have a bachelor's degree but I am not a nurse; can I still become a nurse anesthetist?
How many students do you admit each year?
My nurse manager is unavailable to do a reference. Who else can I use as a reference?
Can I work while I am in the program?
What is your graduation rate?
How many of your graduates pass the national certifying exam on the first try?
If I only took one class at a college do I still need to send two official transcripts?
- What nursing experience do I need to be admitted to your program?
Applicants must have two years of experience as a registered nurse,
including at least one year of recent, full-time experience in an
intensive care setting. The Admissions Committee has found that the
most successful applicants have experience in cardiac ICU, surgical
ICU, medical ICU or pediatric ICU.
Applicants should have experience with:
- continuous hemodynamic monitoring (PA catheters, Swan-Ganz)
- ventilators
- EKG interpretation
- pharmacological monitoring (instituting, regulating and maintaining
patients on drugs related to cardio pulmonary status or life-death situations)
- independent decision-making necessary in the ongoing care of unstable patients
If you wish to discuss your experience with a member of our faculty,
please call 913-588-3253.
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- Do I need a full year of intensive care experience before I submit
my application?
No. You can apply while you are completing the required nursing
experience. The experience must be completed by the time you would
enroll in the program (the program starts in June each year).
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- Do you require the GRE?
We do not require the GRE and do not consider GRE grades in our
admissions process.
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- Do I need to have met all the prerequisites before I apply?
Applicants who have met all the prerequisites (that is, all five
science classes, statistics, and a bachelor’s degree) by the
July 15 deadline are given priority in the application process.
Applicants who have not met all the prerequisites by the application
deadline must submit a plan with their application for completing
any missing prerequisites. This should include proof of enrollment
in any courses currently being taken. If all prerequisites have not
been met by the time of the interviews, any offer of a position in
the program would be contingent on completing the missing prerequisites
prior to enrollment in the program.
Potential applicants who would like to know if they have met all
the prerequisites can send unofficial copies of their transcripts
at any time. Our Student Affairs Coordinator will be happy to review
the transcripts and let applicants know what prerequisites they are
missing.
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- What should I do if I took physiology more than 10 years ago?
We require that all applicants have taken physiology within 10 years of enrollment in the program. For example, applicants who wish to start the program in June 2009 must have taken a physiology class (or two semesters of A&P) in June 1999 or later. A minimum grade of B is also required in these classes. If applicants took these classes more than 10 years ago or have a C, they must retake physiology to update their knowledge.
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- What if I only have one semester of a combined anatomy/physiology
class?
If anatomy and physiology are taken in a combined class, applicants
must have two semesters. Applicants with only one semester should
try to find a second semester of combined anatomy and physiology
which would extend their knowledge beyond what was covered in the
first semester. If this is not possible, applicants can fulfill the
requirement for a second semester by taking a physiology class.
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- What if I only have one semester of chemistry?
We require two semesters of college-level chemistry. These two chemistry
classes should have included some elements of inorganic, organic
and bio chemistry. If applicants have only taken one semester of
chemistry, they should look for a second chemistry class which would
extend their knowledge beyond what they learned in their first chemistry
and ensure that they have covered the three areas of chemistry (inorganic,
organic and bio). A Chemistry I & II sequence would meet this
requirement. An introduction to organic and/or biochemistry would
be a good choice for a second chemistry. If you are unsure which
chemistry class to take, please contact our Student Affairs Coordinator
on 913-588-3253 for assistance.
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- Does my bachelor's degree have to be in nursing?
We do not require applicants to have a BSN. We do require a bachelor’s
degree but that degree can be in any appropriate discipline. Applicants
without a BSN might have a degree in respiratory care, biological
sciences, health care administration, pharmacology, etc. Applicants
with an alternative degree do have to be an RN and have the required
experience as an RN.
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- I have a bachelor’s degree but I am
not a nurse; can I still become a nurse anesthetist?
The quickest way to become a nurse anesthetist if you have a bachelor’s
degree in a related field but are not a nurse, is to earn an associate’s
degree in nursing and become an RN. This generally takes one to two
years depending on your background and the program you enter. After
becoming an RN, you would still need two years of nursing experience
before you can enter our program.
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- How many students do you admit each year? How many applicants do you have?
We admit 18-22 students each year, based at our two primary clinical sites – KU Medical Center and Overland Park Regional Medical Center. We have approximately 100 applicants per
year.
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- My nurse manager is unavailable to do a reference. Who else
can I use as a reference?
We require that one reference be from your nurse manager. If a nurse
manager is not available, this reference can also be from an assistant
nurse manager, a charge nurse, a night supervisor, a house supervisor
or a day supervisor.
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- Can I work while I am in the program?
Becoming a nurse anesthetist is very demanding. Students should expect to devote up to 70 hours per week to program requirements including clinical experiences, class time and study time. Student employment is strongly discouraged throughout the program. The Department Chair reserves the right to disallow any employment if there is evidence of clinical or academic deficiencies which jeopardize the student's progress. At no time will a student be employed
as an anesthesia provider.
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- What is your graduation rate?
The graduation rate for all students entering the program for the most recent five years is 94% (for students entering the program 2000-2004).
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- How many of your graduates pass the national certifying exam
on the first try?
The first time pass rate for program graduates on the National Certification Exam for the most recent five years is 90% (for graduates who took the exam 2001-2006).
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- If I only took one class at a college do I still need to send
two official transcripts?
Yes. We require applicants to have two official transcripts sent
directly to our department from every college they have attended,
even if they only took one class and even if the credits show up
on another transcript.
Transcripts should be sent directly from the college to our department because transcripts sent to students frequently have "Issued to Student" stamped on them. If this is on the transcript, we can not accept them, even if they arrive in sealed envelopes.
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