Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
Department Website: Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
Introduction
The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) Program is a practice doctorate offered by the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center/Gonzaga University Nurse Anesthesia Program. The program is jointly owned and operated by Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (dba Providence Health Care) and Gonzaga University. The Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, and successful completion of the program meets the eligibility requirements the requirements for graduates to sit for the National Certification Exam (NCE) offered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), leading to licensure as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
The DNAP Program is designed for the registered nurse who wishes to assume a leadership role within the profession of nurse anesthesia. In addition to preparing residents to be competent, skilled nurse anesthesia practitioners, it is the mission of the program to nurture and develop innovative, creative leaders for the advancement of the profession. The DNAP degree is a practice doctorate that provides DNAP students with robust clinical experiences gained through completing over 2800 clinical hours during the program.
Graduates of Gonzaga's DNAP program receive an evidence-based experience blending clinical anesthesia practice with leadership strategies. The curriculum of Gonzaga’s DNAP program builds on the extensive education of program participants. In addition to learning the practice of nurse anesthesia, residents learn to engage in systems thinking to solve complex problems, translate evidence to improve health care practices and population health, lead quality improvement and change initiatives, and demonstrate effective intraprofessional collaboration in the nurse anesthesia field.
The Nurse Anesthesia Program is an integrated program; with clinical and didactic courses offered throughout the program. Courses are offered at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. All residents will attend didactic offerings in person at the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Campus in Spokane Washington, during their first and second semesters. For the remainder of the program courses will be offered in a hybrid delivery fashion with the option of attending courses in person at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center or attending remotely. Learners attending remotely will be required to attend intensive, in person emersions once or twice each semester.
The program unitizes three clinical hubs or grouping of clinical sites for clinical assignments. These clinical sites are located throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. Clinical rotations are mandatory and will be scheduled by the program.
Eastern Washington Clinical Hub:
- Clearwater Valley Hospital
- Community Hospital of Anaconda
- Inland Northwest Anesthesia and Pain Clinic
- Kadlec Ambulatory Endoscopy Center
- Kadlec Ambulatory Surgery Center
- Kadlec Regional Medical Center Main Hospital
- Kadlec Tri-City Regional Surgery Center
- Kootenai Medical Center
- MultiCare Deaconess Hospital
- MultiCare Valley Hospital
- MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital
- Pleasant View Surgery Center
- Providence Holy Family Hospital
- Providence Mount Carmel Hospital
- Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
- Pullman Regional Hospital
- Spokane Veterans' Administration Medical Center
- St. Mary's Hospital and Clinics
Western Washington Clinical Hub:
- Harborview Medical Center
- MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital
- MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital
- Providence Centralia Hospital
- Providence Milwaukie Hospital
- Providence Regional Medical Center Everett- Colby campus
- Providence Regional Medical Center Everett- Pacific Campus
- Swedish First Hill Campus
- Swedish Hospital Cherry Hill Campus
- Swedish Orthopedic Institute
- University of Washington Medical Center
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System
Central Washington Clinical Hub:
- Harborview Medical Center
- Kadlec Ambulatory Endoscopy Center
- Kadlec Ambulatory Surgery Center
- Kadlec Regional Medical Center Main Hospital
- Kadlec Tri-City Regional Surgery Center
- MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital
- MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital
- Providence Centralia Hospital
- Providence Milwaukie Hospital
- Pullman Regional Hospital
- Swedish First Hill Campus
- Swedish Hospital Cherry Hill Campus
- Swedish Orthopedic Institute
- University of Washington Medical Center
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System
Admission
- Students applying to Gonzaga University must submit Gonzaga’s Graduate Application, which can be accessed online at https://www.gonzaga.edu/gradapply
- Along with the application for graduate study, each program at Gonzaga has distinct admission requirements. Please refer to the table below to view that detailed information.
| Program Name | How to Apply Link |
|---|---|
| Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) | https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-health-sciences/departments/doctor-of-nurse-anesthesia/eligibility-and-admission |
Program Expectations:
- Attendance is required in all clinical and didactic courses.
- Hours of Duty: Didactic classes may be scheduled between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Evening classes or seminars are occasionally held. After the first semester, clinical duty begins at 6:00 a.m. During the second and third years of the program, students rotate to 3p-11p, 7a-7p, 7p-7a, Weekends, 12-16 hour rotations. Clinical hours and expectations escalate in the program from an average of 16 hours of clinical to 44 hours. The maximum number of clinical and didactic hours allowed per week by the COA is 64.
- Academic Performance
The DNAP Program has program-specific grading policies. All courses must be completed with a 3.0/Satisfactory or higher grade. If a student earns a grade below a 3.0 in any course, he/she will be placed on probation. Subsequent or additional grades below a 3.0 are grounds for dismissal from the Nurse Anesthesia Program. Appeals will be in accordance with the Nurse Anesthesia Program appeal policy located in the DNAP Student Handbook; grade remediation is in accordance with individual instructors' grading policies.