USMs Nurse Anesthesia Program Sees Pattern of Exceptional Growth

Seven years after its inception, the Nurse Anesthesia Program at The University of Southern Mississippi has grown into one of the institution's premier professional healthcare training regimens.

The prestigious program, administered through USM's College of Nursing and Health Professions, was launched in January, 2013 with 20 students. Currently, there are 60 students enrolled, which represents full capacity. Since the first graduating class in 2015, the program has produced 74 graduates.

The demanding program includes 36 months of study and concludes with the awarding of a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Graduates are then eligible to take the applicable exam to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

Program Coordinator, Dr. Nina McLain, points out that the country's ongoing nursing shortage includes the field of nurse anesthetist. USM offers the only nurse anesthesia program in Mississippi.

“Mississippi has a large rural population. Nurse anesthetists have historically filled the role as solo anesthesia providers in our state,” said McLain. “With the nursing shortage having already started for Mississippi, we need a program to educate and train our future providers for both the rural and metro areas.”

According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, as of August 2018, there were 121 accredited nurse anesthesia programs in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The USM program's mission is to supply doctorally prepared graduates with the advanced knowledge in the area of clinical specialization of nurse anesthesia. The doctoral degree prepares the CRNA to assume leadership positions in education, management and patient care by offering a curriculum concentrating on quality assessment and improvement, health care system and organizations, leadership, best evidence of practice, health policy and health care economics.

Dr. Lachel Story, Associate Dean and Director, School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice at USM, notes that the University's Nurse Anesthesia Program has attracted quality registered nurses from all over the country. She emphasizes that raising the admission requirements has further increased the quality of applicants the program is receiving.

“These students come into the rigorous program and excel in the classroom and clinical, and they are well sought after upon graduation,” she said. “These graduates helped meet a critical anesthesia provider shortage in the state, region, and country as 100 percent of our nurse anesthesia graduates have jobs secured upon graduation.”

Four doctorally established CRNAs, with a wide range of practice and educational experiences, serve as instructors in the USM program. A total of 21 clinical sites provide real-world training for the students. Clinical work starts at the beginning of Year Two in the program.

To learn more about the Nurse Anesthesia Program at USM, call 601.266.5445 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/nursing-health-professions