Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)
Introduction
The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (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 students 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. The Nurse Anesthesia Program is an integrated program; the first semester is primarily didactic, with clinical rotations beginning in the second semester.
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, candidates 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 DNAP Program is jointly owned and operated by Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (dba Providence Health Care) and Gonzaga University. The program has clinical rotations throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. Clinical rotations at assigned clinical sites are mandatory and will be scheduled by the program. Clinical sites are located throughout the States of Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Eastern Washington Clinical Sites: Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, Providence Holy Family Hospital, Providence Mount Carmel Hospital, Mann-Grandstaff Veteran's Medical Center, Pullman Regional Hospital, Kadlec Regional Medical Center MultiCare Deaconess Hospital, and MultiCare Valley Hospital.
Western Washington Clinical Sites: Providence Regional Medical Center-Everett Colby Campus, Providence Regional Medical Center- Everett Pacific Campus, Providence Centralia Hospital, Swedish First Hill Campus, Swedish Hospital- Cherry Hill Campus, Swedish Orthopedic Institute, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center-Mont Lake, and the Puget Sound Veteran's Medical Center
Idaho Clinical Sites: Pleasant View Surgery Center, Kootenai Health, Inland Northwest Anesthesia and Pain, St. Mary’s Hospital, Clearwater Valley Hospitals and clinics.
Montana Clinical Site: Anaconda Community Hospital
Oregon Clinical Site: Providence Milwaukie Hospital
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.