Wilmington University is home to Delaware’s first Nurse Anesthesiology Program.
Wilmington University is collaborating with ChristianaCare and Anesthesia Services on this full-time 36-month offering that will lead to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
It will prepare graduates to sit for the National Certification Exam and become certified registered nurse anesthetists or CRNAs which is an advanced practice registered nurse who administers anesthesia and provides related care before, during, and after surgical, therapeutic, diagnostic, and obstetrical procedures.
While this partnership offers ChristianaCare a pipeline of sorts for future CRNAs, Dr. Denise Wells, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Wilmington University says its impact goes well beyond that.
"It's a specialty concentration within the nursing profession that caters to a specific population requiring healthcare needs in certain settings,” said Wells. “So it's adjunctive to the existing healthcare professionals, but it's filling a growing need nationally, as well as what Delaware's experiencing."
Wells says there’s a demand that needs to be met in Delaware.
"There's a shortage of CRNAs, of anesthesiologists. Many are nearing retirement. Some of those healthcare services are hit hardest in the rural communities, and therefore you see just exacerbated healthcare disparity," said Wells.
Students will get over 2,000 hours of hands-on clinical experience across various surgical specialties.
They will also refine clinical skills and decision making in state-of-the-art simulation labs.
The curriculum will integrate anesthesiology-specific coursework with advanced nursing practice.
Wells adds that in the spring there will be an on-site accreditation visit, and then in the late summer or early fall they will identify students for admission contingent on accreditation. They will not enroll students until accreditation is awarded.
