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Do I need to have a full year of Critical Care experience before I submit my application?
How can I get my GRE scores sent DIRECTLY to the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing?
Am I required to take a Chemistry or Physics course before admission?
One year of full time critical care experience is a national requirement for admission to any Nurse Anesthesia Program. Each program sets the limits for what types of experience are essential to their specific needs. In this program, we evaluate each applicant on an individual basis to determine the quality as well as quantity of Critical Care skills. We do not accept the following types of experience as the sole component of the critical care experience requirements: Telemetry, Neonatal ICU, Operating Room, Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU or RR), or Emergency Room. Exceptions can be considered if the PACU unit is also ICU overflow on a regular basis or has the patient acuity of an ICU, or if the ER is part of an integrated level one shock/trauma OR and ICU system. Examples of the essential critical care skills that we specifically evaluate are assessment of the critically ill and unstable patients, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, basic EKG interpretation, management of vasoactive infusions, and care of ventilator dependent patients. The required one year of critical care experience must be within the past 5 years.
You can apply to the program if you are currently employed in critical care and will have the necessary one year of full time experience before the start of the full time anesthesia component. Admission to the program is contingent upon fulfilling the critical care experience requirement.
No. The Nurse Anesthesia Program requires anesthesia applicants to take the GRE.
When you take the GRE include the following codes for the forwarding of scores. University of Pittsburgh: 2927, School of Nursing: 0610. This will allow the GRE office to send your scores directly to the program without any delays.
You can take any undergraduate or graduate level statistics course that includes inferential and descriptive statistics. If you have questions about whether a course will meet the requirement, contact the program.
No. The admission process is competitive. Each completed application is reviewed by the Program Faculty and interviews are granted to those candidates that present with a quality profile. We look at all aspects of the application materials, Grade Point Average (GPA), Test Scores (GRE), professional experiences, references, and the ability to communicate in writing.
Our interview process is designed to allow the applicant to become familiar with faculty, our program and philosophies, and for us to evaluate the applicant. Depending on the number of applicants in each session, you can expect to spend about 5 hours at the program offices. We present a detailed overview of the clinical and academic curriculum, expectations, and associated professional and educational issues. Applicants are taken on a tour of the academic facilities and the WISER center. Each applicant interviews with 3 or more of the Program Faculty for 10-15 minutes each in a one to one setting. We do not conduct panel interviews. Current students are also invited to provide information from their perspective during an informal session. Refreshments are provided.
Yes. We recognize that undergraduate study sometimes occurred when maturity was not fully developed or unforeseen life events occurred, and may not exemplify an applicant's current motivation and professional abilities. Therefore we recommend enrolling in one or more graduate level courses that can demonstrate the ability to achieve. Select courses with a strong science component, such as anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, or pharmacology that will provide a better assessment of scholastic aptitude. If you are admitted, these courses will be an asset to your anesthesia education. GRE scores will also help to evaluate your academic potential.
At this time there is no requirement to own a laptop. It is a necessity to have ready access to a computer and printer. All of the Anesthesia Courses are web-supported, clinical assignments are available on-line, the major communication method is Electronic Mail, and presentations and papers throughout out the curriculum require the use of a computer. There is a dedicated computer lab in the Victoria Building (School of Nursing) and this may suffice if you live in close proximity to the school and can plan your work to coincide with the Computer Lab hours. Broadband or DSL internet access is also recommended. The University has extensive WiFi for students should you wish to use a laptop.
The most useful skills for incoming students are: web navigation, downloading files, use of electronic mail, and basic word processing and PowerPoint Slideshow navigation. Student with limited computer skills have learned quickly, but having some basic familiarity with computers allows you to concentrate your effort on anesthesia studies. The University purchases a site license for Microsoft Products and provides students with Microsoft Office and other additional software free of charge.
No. We teach an applied Chemistry and Physics of Anesthesia in the curriculum.
Applicant numbers are very difficult to quantitate because of our rolling admissions and part-time option. Everyone that submits an application may not meet our admission standards and be granted an interview. The variation in applicant numbers nationally fluctuates with the employment market. At this time the job market is very good for CRNAs and we have a large applicant pool. Early application is highly recommended.
We monitor the national employment market, clinical site availability to meet AANA accreditation case requirements and several other factors to determine our class size each year. We currently admit for both a Fall and Spring start.
Yes. If you are admitted to the program and reside locally or move to the area before the full time curriculum begins, you may take non-anesthesia classes. Several courses are available in the summer term in a compressed session of 12 weeks. Recognize that taking courses prior to the start of the full time anesthesia component will lessen your tuition credits per term and may affect financial aid. These options can be discussed with you by a faculty member after admission into the program.
Although there is no guaranteed way to assure that Nurse Anesthesia will be the best career choice for you, we suggest that you fully investigate the CRNA scope of practice at a national level and visit the work environment. Talk with practicing CRNAs about what they do and why they enjoy their work. Visit an OR and spend time with a CRNA to see "first-hand" what the practice entails. This should help you to decide if this is the right career path for you.
