Title of Research
Evaluation of Entry-Level Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
Start Date
18-8-2017 10:00 AM
End Date
18-8-2017 11:30 AM
Abstract
Evaluation of Entry-Level Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs: A National Survey Stephen Reimers, BSN, RN, CCRN Faculty Sponsor: Karen Kapanke, DNP, CRNA
Background: The requirement for all nurse anesthesia educational programs to transition to offering practice doctorates by January 1, 2022 signals a turning point in nurse anesthesia education.
Objectives: The goals of this project were to 1) determine the most significant barriers nurse anesthesia programs faced when transitioning offering a practice doctorate, 2) assess how the transition affected various program functions and outcomes, and 3) consider whether the requirement would result in a change in the number of graduates from nurse anesthesia programs.
Methods: An electronic survey was sent to the program administrators of all 116 nurse anesthesia educational programs regarding concerns and potential barriers about transitioning to a practice doctorate, as well as program demographic, program function, and program outcome questions.
Results: The highest rated barrier to transitioning to a practice doctorate was “managing student DNP projects”. Programs that had not yet transitioned to offering a doctorate were found to be significantly more likely to cite “establishing necessary collaborations with other academic institutions in order to offer a doctorate” as a barrier to transition than those that had already transitioned (t = -1.962, df = 55, p = 0.007). Nearly every program administrator (92%) reported an increase in faculty workload after transitioning to a doctorate program; ten programs (40%) reported that their admission requirements changed as a result of the transition. Three of the six programs (50%) that reported having at least one cohort graduate reported a decrease in the first-time National Certification Exam pass rate since transitioning to a practice doctorate.
Conclusions: Professional groups could greatly assist programs in the transition to offering practice doctorates by providing greater support for managing student DNP projects, and identify programs that, by virtue of their school structure, cannot offer a doctorate and offer early assistance in establishing the necessary collaborations to make the transition, and could review admission requirements to determine if any new requirements commonly seen for practice doctorate programs offer benefits. Programs that transition to offering practice doctorates should develop strategies to prevent a decline in first-time pass rates of the National Certification Exam.
Included in
Evaluation of Entry-Level Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
Evaluation of Entry-Level Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs: A National Survey Stephen Reimers, BSN, RN, CCRN Faculty Sponsor: Karen Kapanke, DNP, CRNA
Background: The requirement for all nurse anesthesia educational programs to transition to offering practice doctorates by January 1, 2022 signals a turning point in nurse anesthesia education.
Objectives: The goals of this project were to 1) determine the most significant barriers nurse anesthesia programs faced when transitioning offering a practice doctorate, 2) assess how the transition affected various program functions and outcomes, and 3) consider whether the requirement would result in a change in the number of graduates from nurse anesthesia programs.
Methods: An electronic survey was sent to the program administrators of all 116 nurse anesthesia educational programs regarding concerns and potential barriers about transitioning to a practice doctorate, as well as program demographic, program function, and program outcome questions.
Results: The highest rated barrier to transitioning to a practice doctorate was “managing student DNP projects”. Programs that had not yet transitioned to offering a doctorate were found to be significantly more likely to cite “establishing necessary collaborations with other academic institutions in order to offer a doctorate” as a barrier to transition than those that had already transitioned (t = -1.962, df = 55, p = 0.007). Nearly every program administrator (92%) reported an increase in faculty workload after transitioning to a doctorate program; ten programs (40%) reported that their admission requirements changed as a result of the transition. Three of the six programs (50%) that reported having at least one cohort graduate reported a decrease in the first-time National Certification Exam pass rate since transitioning to a practice doctorate.
Conclusions: Professional groups could greatly assist programs in the transition to offering practice doctorates by providing greater support for managing student DNP projects, and identify programs that, by virtue of their school structure, cannot offer a doctorate and offer early assistance in establishing the necessary collaborations to make the transition, and could review admission requirements to determine if any new requirements commonly seen for practice doctorate programs offer benefits. Programs that transition to offering practice doctorates should develop strategies to prevent a decline in first-time pass rates of the National Certification Exam.