Nurse Anesthesia

Program Overview

The DNP in Nurse Anesthesia is 36 months of full-time study. The 112 credit hour curriculum and 2,880 required clinical hours meet the Standard for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs (2021) as set by the Council of Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA). Students will also complete a scholarly project intended to improve clinical practice with oversight by CRNA credentialed faculty.

Nurse Anesthesia Curriculum

**The Nurse Anesthesia specialty requires a minimum of one year of full-time critical care experience or the part-time equivalent prior to admission.

BSN-DNP Full-time Program of Study

112 Credits Effective for Fall 2023 admits

Year 1 - Fall

Year 1 - Spring

Year 1 - Summer

Year 2 - Fall

Year 2 - Spring

Year 2 - Summer

Year 3 - Fall

Year 3 - Spring

Year 3 - Summer

Refer to the UofL Graduate Catalog for the official program of study and academic requirements.

Clinical Sites

Students in the University of Louisville Nurse Anesthesia Program will engage in a minimum of 2,880 hours of extensive clinical training in some of Louisville’s top ranked hospitals.

Clinical Rotation Sites

Enrichment Clinical Sites

Cheryl D. Parker, DNP, CRNA, RNC-OB, FAWHONN, FAANA

DNP-NA Program Director, Assistant Professor
cheryl.parker@louisville.edu

Cheryl Parker is the Director for the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Louisville. She is also an actively practicing obstetric anesthetist providing services with Obstetric Anesthesia Consultants at Norton Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Louisville.

Dr. Parker earned her BSN from Eastern Kentucky University and her MSN and DNP from Murray State University. She has been a nurse for 28 years, working primarily in the areas of women’s health, specifically: Postpartum, L&D, and NICU. For the last 14 years, her focus has been on Obstetric Anesthesia. She is a member of the AANA (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists), KyANA (Kentucky Anesthesia Nurses Association), SOAP (Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology), KyPQC (Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative), and a long-standing member of AWHONN (Association for Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nursing), where she served 2 years on the Public Policy Committee.  In 2020 she was instrumental in the submission and acceptance of KY-HR73; approving legislation to establish January 23rd as Women’s Health Awareness Day; and making Kentucky the 5th state in the nation to inaugurate an MHA resolution.

Dr. Parker’s publications include; a case report in JOGNN (Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Neonatal Nursing), May 2015, entitled: An Innovative Nursing Approach to Caring for an Obstetric Patient with Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS); in 2019 she served on AWHONN’s Evidence Based Guidelines- Revision Science Team, which produced the evidence-based clinical practice guideline entitled: Analgesia and Anesthesia in the Intrapartum Period, and in Oct 2020, an AWHONN Practice Brief and Podcast entitled: Lower Extremity Nerve Injury in Childbirth.

Education

• Doctor of Nursing Practice, Murray State University, Murray, KY
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Obstetric Anesthesia Consultants, Louisville, KY
• NCC Credential in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB)

View Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Zohn Centimole, PhD, CRNA, FAANA

DNP-NA Assistant Director, Assistant Professor
zohn.centimole@louisville.edu

Zohn Centimole joined the School of Nursing as the Assistant Director for the Nurse Anesthesia Program to begin the first nurse anesthesia program housed on a tertiary medical center campus, in the state of Kentucky. Dr. Centimole has over 15 years of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) practice in the tertiary health care setting. His practice experience spans from outpatient remote anesthetics to major trauma resuscitations, as well as a large volume of complex cancer care. He also has been a didactic assistant professor in the Northern Kentucky University-Nurse Anesthesia Program, teaching courses in pharmacology, chemistry, and physics for nurse anesthetists. He has presented at national meetings and been published in several perianesthesia journals. His most recent article regarding calcinosis universalis is published in the April 2022 edition of the AANA Journal.

His research interests include the effects of anesthesia on cognitive function. In his clinical trial from 2014-2017, he applied the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery-Mild Cognitive Impairment (CANTAB-MCI) computer-based system to the anesthesia population. He actively studies individualized, custom anesthesia, strategies to optimize patient outcomes in vulnerable individuals.

Education

• PhD: Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• MS: Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, Madison, TN
• BSN: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

View Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Jennifer Harpe-Bates, DNAP, APRN, CRNA, FAANA

DNP-NA Assistant Professor
jennifer.harpe.1@louisville.edu

Jennifer Harpe-Bates joined the School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia Program in October 2022 as Assistant Professor. Dr. Harpe-Bates has practiced for over 30 years as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She was previously Adjunct Faculty for Northern Kentucky University Nurse Anesthesia Program focusing on Doctoral Projects. Her anesthesia interests include opioid sparing anesthesia techniques that include a regional component. She frequently lectures on Transversus Abdominis Plane blocks at Anesthesia conferences. She is also the Kentucky Association of Nurse Anesthetist Program Committee Chair, providing annual education for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist of Kentucky.

Education

Dr. Harpe-Bates, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Kentucky in 1986, and her Masters in Health Sciences with a Certificate in Nurse Anesthesia from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1992. She returned to the Medical University of South Carolina to complete her Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Program in 2019.

View Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Brett Kendon, DNP, CRNA, ARNP, CHSE-A, DCA

DNP-NA Associate Clinical Professor
brett.kendon@louisville.edu

Dr. Brett Kendon is an experienced clinician and Advanced Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE-A) in the field of nurse anesthesia. He joins the University of Louisville SON as an Associate Clinical Professor with the Nurse Anesthesia Program as a didactic instructor and simulation specialist.

Throughout his career, Dr. Kendon has actively contributed to the advancement of simulation education in nurse anesthesia. He has presented lectures and workshops at various professional meetings, including the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA), Kentucky Association of Nurse Anesthetists (KYANA), and at national anesthesia and international simulation conferences.

He has played a significant leadership role in promoting simulation education within the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and anesthesia education, hosting meetings at the Assembly of School Faculty and National Congress. In conjunction with other educators, he progressed healthcare simulation education through the AANA simulation community, and in 2018 established and for 2 years chaired the initial AANA Simulation Sub-Committee to the Education Committee.

Most recently his role has been in the design and development of the Northern Kentucky University, Nurse Anesthesia Program, and serving as the Assistant Program Director and Director of Simulation for the past 5 years.

Education

Attaining a BSN in 2003, from Massey University in New Zealand as a distance learner, then an MSN in Nurse Anesthesia in 2008 from Florida International University (FIU). Continuing at FIU, he graduated in 2011 with a Post-master’s Certificate in Nursing Education with a focus on simulation-based education modalities. In 2016 he completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Cincinnati, concluding with a capstone focused on simulation-based clinical competency evaluation in nurse anesthesia education.

View Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Saundra Smalley, CRNA, MSN

DNP-NA Assistant Professor
saundra.smalley@louisville.edu

Saundra joined the University of Louisville SON as adjunct faculty with the Nurse Anesthesia Program in summer of 2023. She has been a CRNA since December 2004 when she graduated from the University of Cincinnati with her MSN in anesthesia.  She began practicing at St. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital in Louisville, Ky where she worked until August 2015.  In September 2015 she began her pediatric practice at Norton Children’s Hospital where she continues to practice today.  Pediatrics is where she feels she is truly called to practice.

Education

Saundra began her nursing education at the University of Louisville where she graduated with her BSN in May 1997.  She worked in the operating room at St. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital until she moved to the ICU in March 2001.  After gaining her ICU experience, she began her anesthesia program at the University of Cincinnati where she graduated with her MSN in 2004. 

View Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Admission Requirements

• Official Transcripts representing all college course work with a recommended overall cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited institution and a NLN, CCNE or ACEN accredited nursing program. 
  • Applicants who have attended a college or university outside the United States are also required to submit a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript through World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE
• Minimum science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Prerequisite courses at the undergraduate level with preference given to those who earned a B or better in all required courses.
  • Human Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Microbiology
  • Chemistry
• Unencumbered Registered Nursing License
• Acute/Critical Care Nursing Certification (CCRN) or equivalent nursing specialty certification.
• Current certifications in BLS and either ACLS or PALS.
• Minimum one year of recent (within 2-years preferred) full-time critical care experience or the part-time equivalent with Employment Verification.
  • Preference is given to applicants who have high acuity critical care experience where hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive drug administration is routinely managed.
  • Preference is given to applicants with experience in shared governance leadership.
• Completion of Graduate Record Examination (GRE), official scores must be within 5 years prior to application.
• Minimum of 24 hours of shadow experience with a CRNA.
• Meet the Program Technical Standards.
• English Proficiency exam as applicable: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

Application Procedures

A holistic review process is used when considering applications for admission to the DNP Nurse Anesthesia program. The holistic review considers multiple criteria for admission, including the applicant’s professional career goals, academic capabilities, GPA, work experience, leadership, and community engagement.

Application Cycle

The Nurse Anesthesia program application cycle for fall opens June 1 and closes August 1. All completed and verified applications will be reviewed, and invitations to interview will be sent by early October. Interviews will be held in person in mid-November.

All required documents must be uploaded and verified by NursingCAS and the UofL Graduate Admissions supplemental application fee must be paid on or before the published deadline. 

Application Deadline is August 1, 2025.

How to Apply

1. Submit online application to Nursing’s Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS), which includes the following materials:
   • Official Transcripts representing all college course work. Bachelor's degree must be from a regionally accredited institution and a NLN or CCNE accredited nursing program. 
   • Applicants who have attended a college or university outside the United States are also required to submit a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript through World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).
   • Official GRE scores must be sent to NursingCAS using the code: 4000. Scores must be from within the past five years.
   • RN verification of licensure from the Board of Nursing
   • Acute/Critical Care Nursing Certification (CCRN)
   • BLS and either ACLS or PALS certifications
   • Employment Verification Form verifying applicant has a minimum of one year of recent (within the last two years preferred) full-time critical care experience or part-time equivalent.
   • CRNA Shadowing Documentation
   • Three letters of recommendation addressing: academic ability, professional competency, and personal character
   • Updated resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that includes the following: work experience, certifications, scholarly activities, and educational leadership and/or professional organization activities
   • Short answer essays reflecting on your preparation for graduate work, personal and professional goals, and reasons for pursuing nurse anesthesia
   • English Proficiency exam as applicable: IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Applicants holding a bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States may be exempt from this requirement.
2. In addition to the NursingCAS application fee, you will be required to pay a $40 supplemental application fee directly to UofL Graduate Admissions in order to be considered for admission. Once you submit your NursingCAS application, you will receive an email from UofL Graduate Admissions with instructions on how to pay the fee.
3. Qualified applicants will be invited to interview with the Selection Committee.
4. Submit the non-refundable $1,500 matriculation fee if accepted into the program.
5. After acceptance to the program, submit clinical requirements, including background check, drug screening, immunizations, and any other documentation as required.

* All nursing students are required to submit a criminal background check (CBC) through the School of Nursing's third-party vendor, Castlebranch. Students will be required to submit the CBC along with their decision to accept the admissions decision. Details will be included in the admission offer letter.

The Kentucky Board of Nursing requires nursing students to report all misdemeanors and felonies to them. Carefully read the guidelines on the Kentucky Board of Nursing website.

Cost & Aid

• Tuition and fee information is available through the UofL Bursar's Office.
• Learn more about payment options.

Nurse Anesthesia Program Fees

Estimated Additional Expenses & Fees

Financial Aid

A UofL education is an excellent investment in your future. For additional information on educational expenses and the cost of attendance, please reference the following resources:

• Student Financial Aid Office’s website
• School of Nursing's Financial Aid & Scholarships website

Goals of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

The AACN goals for Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs are to:

1. Prepare nurse leaders to assume clinical, leadership, executive, public policy and/or teaching roles.
2. Prepare nurse leaders to synthesize and apply knowledge to improve population outcomes.
3. Prepare nurse leaders to collaborate with other disciplines to improve the delivery of health care.
4. Prepare nurse leaders to affect health policy through the application of knowledge.

DNP Program Outcomes

At the completion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, the graduate will:

1. Students will meet professional behavioral standards for the advanced practice nurse.
2. Apply systems and organizational leadership in the provision of advanced practice nursing initiatives
3. Engage in clinical scholarship by synthesizing and translating evidence into quality improvement and practice initiatives
4. Apply communication strategies with individuals, families, and groups in providing advanced nursing care or practice initiatives
5. Develop and lead inter-professional teams to improve patient and population health outcomes.
6. Demonstrate knowledge development in the practice of advanced nursing care to individuals, families, groups, and communities.
7. Analyze the role of health policy and advocacy in the provision of health care.

Nurse Anesthesia Program Outcomes

At the completion of the Nurse Anesthesia DNP Program, the graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

Patient Safety

1. Be vigilant in the delivery of patient care.
2. Refrain from engaging in extraneous activities that abandon or minimize vigilance while providing direct patient care.
3. Conduct a comprehensive equipment check.
4. Protect patients from iatrogenic complications.
5. Provide individualized care throughout the perianesthesia continuum.
6. Deliver culturally competent perianesthesia care.
7. Provide anesthesia services to all patients across the lifespan.
8. Perform a comprehensive history and physical assessment.
9. Administer general anesthesia to patients with a variety of physical conditions.
10. Administer general anesthesia for a variety of surgical and medically related procedures.
11. Administer and manage a variety of regional anesthetics.
12. Maintain current certification in ACLS and PALS.
13. Apply knowledge to practice in decision making and problem solving
14. Provide nurse anesthesia services based on evidence-based principles.
15. Perform a preanesthetic assessment before providing anesthesia services.
16. Assume responsibility and accountability for diagnosis.
17. Formulate an anesthesia plan of care before providing anesthesia services.
18. Identify and take appropriate action when confronted with anesthetic equipment-related malfunctions.
19. Interpret and utilize data obtained from noninvasive and invasive monitoring modalities.
20. Calculate, initiate, and manage fluid and blood component therapy.
21. Recognize, evaluate, and manage the physiological responses coincident to the provision of anesthesia services.
22. Recognize and appropriately manage complications that occur during the provision of anesthesia services.
23. Use science-based theories and concepts to analyze new practice approaches.
24. Pass the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCRNA.
25. Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients and their families.
26. Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective interprofessional exchange of information and collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
27. Respect the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of interprofessional care.
28. Maintain comprehensive, timely, accurate, and legible healthcare records.
29. Transfer the responsibility for care of the patient to other qualified providers in a manner that assures continuity of care and patient safety.
30. Teach others.
31. Integrate critical and reflective thinking in his or her leadership approach.
32. Provide leadership that facilitates intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration.
33. Adhere to the Code of Ethics for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
34. Interact on a professional level with integrity.
35. Apply ethically sound decision-making processes.
36. Function within legal and regulatory requirements.
37. Accept responsibility and accountability for his or her practice.
38. Provide anesthesia services to patients in a cost-effective manner.
39. Demonstrate knowledge of wellness and substance use disorder in the anesthesia profession through completion of content in wellness and substance use disorder.
40. Inform the public of the role and practice of the CRNA.
41. Evaluate how public policy making strategies impact the financing and delivery of healthcare.
42. Advocate for health policy change to improve patient care.
43. Advocate for health policy change to advance the specialty of nurse anesthesia.
44. Analyze strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
45. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of populations.
46. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of clinical settings.
47. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of systems.
48. Disseminate scholarly work.
49. Use information systems/technology to support and improve patient care.
50. Use information systems/technology to support and improve healthcare systems.
51. Analyze business practices encountered in nurse anesthesia delivery settings.

Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs - Practice Doctorate, Page 17-20, Revised January 30, 2021