The University of Arkansas for Medical Science (UAMS) College of Nursing has been accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs to educate nurse anesthetists.
“Creating a nurse anesthesia program fits within UAMS’s larger strategic goals of embracing innovative programs and new approaches to train tomorrow’s healthcare workforce and improve healthcare for all Arkansans,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, MD, MBA.
A certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) administers and monitors anesthesia as patients undergo surgical procedures. They can work in a variety of healthcare environments, such as traditional hospital operating rooms, standalone surgical centers and dental surgery practices.
“This is a field in fast-growing demand both nationally and internationally,” said Patricia Cowan, PhD, RN, dean of the UAMS College of Nursing. “By including it in our course offerings we are making sure our students are well prepared for what the healthcare workforce will demand in the coming years.”
The nurse anesthesia program is a specialty in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. It is the only accredited doctoral-level nurse anesthesia program based in Arkansas. Enrollment begins Nov.12 for classes, which will begin in fall 2020. The program website is https://nursing.uams.edu/doctor-of-nursing-practice-in-nurse-anesthesia/.
The program is led by Michelle Gonzalez, PhD, CRNA, who joined UAMS in January from the University of Maryland School of Nursing, where she served as an assistant professor and simulation coordinator and performed clinical practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Mark Dunavan, DNP, CRNA, is the assistant nurse anesthesia program director. Dunavan, a native Arkansan, joined UAMS in early September from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, where he was an assistant professor and simulation coordinator. He had a clinical practice with Medical Anesthesia Group and the Methodist Healthcare System in Tennessee.