BSN to DNP - Nurse Anesthesia

Turn your critical care experience into a career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. You’ll build your skills through online coursework, on-campus simulation, and more than 2,500 hours of clinical practice. You’ll graduate with a Doctor of Nursing Practice and be eligible for the national CRNA certification exam.

Program:
Nursing

Degree Awarded:
Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia

Length of Program:
3 years, a total of 9 semesters

Delivery Method:
Hybrid

Application Deadlines:
December 1, 2026
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> Degree Overview
> Tuition & Cost
> Academic Plan
> Career Outlook

Hands-on learning opportunities in high-fidelity simulation labs

100% employment rate

Reported since 2022

Dedicated classrooms and study spaces

8 months of online didactic

Followed by 12-months on campus

Overview

How the Program Works
This full-time program is front-loaded. You’ll start with 8 months of online coursework, then spend 12 months on campus. You’ll begin clinical work part-time, then move into a 16-month full-time clinical practicum.

Clarkson College shares a campus with Nebraska Medicine, so your classrooms and simulation labs sit next to a major academic medical center. As a doctoral program, your coursework also covers evidence-based practice and healthcare policy.

Clinical rotations
You’ll complete rotations in urban and rural hospitals and outpatient centers. Specialty experiences include cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, trauma, transplant, obstetric, pediatric, and pain management anesthesia. You’ll also provide anesthesia outside the operating room, in areas such as MRI, CT, GI, and the ICU.

Certification
Graduates are eligible to take the National Certification Examination (NCE), administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

Admission Requirements

Program Specific Requirements

Minimum cumulative college 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale for prerequisite coursework
One year of full-time critical care experience or its part-time equivalent
A current, unencumbered RN license (and APRN license, if applicable) in the U.S., its territories, or protectorates. License must be effective in the state where clinical experiences will occur.
Applicant must have achieved or be actively involved in the process of achieving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited program. BSN must be complete by start of term.

Interview: Required, if selected

There are additional required application materials and prerequisite coursework for this degree. Complete information can be found on this page: Nurse Anesthesia Admission Requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

The program takes 36 months of full-time study. The first 8 months are fully online. The next 12 months are on campus in Omaha, followed by a 16-month clinical practicum.

You need a BSN, an active RN license, and at least one year of full-time critical care experience (or its part-time equivalent). Applications open July 1 and are due December 1.

Yes, you are able to work as needed during the first two semesters that are online. After that, no.

Rotations take place at academic medical centers and rural sites across Nebraska, western Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri. Plan for some travel during the clinical phase.

You’ll study on a campus shared with Nebraska Medicine, in classes capped at 28 students. You’ll complete more than 2,500 clinical hours across specialties from trauma to transplant, and you’ll learn from CRNA faculty.

"Clarkson College’s nurse anesthesia program provided me with outstanding resources and experiences in both the classroom and clinical settings. My education at Clarkson College prepared me exceptionally well for a smooth transition into independent practice as a CRNA in rural Nebraska. I would highly recommend both the profession and the program to anyone dedicated to advancing their education and career."

Cody Carlson, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesia

"I chose the Clarkson College Nurse Anesthesia program because it offers an exceptional combination of diverse clinical training, strong academic partnerships, and a supportive learning environment. The program provides experience across a wide range of practice settings throughout Nebraska and western Iowa. These include large academic centers and rural sites. Its close partnership with Nebraska Medicine gives students exposure to high-acuity cases and outstanding specialty training. What also sets the program apart is its small class size, state-of-the-art simulation labs, dedicated anesthesia classrooms, and direct location next to Nebraska Medicine, allowing students to seamlessly integrate classroom learning with hands-on clinical experience."

Eric Langan DNP, CRNA, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesia

"Choosing Clarkson College for my entire nursing journey has been one of the best decisions I could have made, because they truly prepare you to be the best in healthcare. From the beginning, I felt supported by faculty and staff who cared about my success both inside and outside of the classroom. The close-knit environment made it easy to form meaningful relationships with classmates, professors, and clinical mentors that I know will stay with me throughout my career. Clarkson challenged me to grow academically and professionally while giving me the confidence to become the provider I am today. I’m especially grateful for the incredible hands-on clinical experiences and the encouragement to continue striving toward bigger goals. Going from a nursing student earning my BSN in 2018 to now graduating with my DNP in Nurse Anesthesia in 2026 feels incredibly rewarding, and the college played such an important role in shaping that journey. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again for both degrees, I would still choose Clarkson College without hesitation!"

Kylie Gunia, BSN, RN, RRNA, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesia

Course Highlights

The program combines rigorous didactic coursework, immersive simulation education, and extensive clinical experiences to prepare graduates to provide anesthesia care across the lifespan and a variety of surgical and procedural settings.

This course emphasizes the analysis, synthesis and application of anesthesia concepts to the development of an individualized anesthesia plan of care. Inherent in this process is the integration of pharmacology, physiology and pathophysiology with anesthesia principles emphasizing the anesthesia implications. Adjuvant drugs commonly encountered by nurse anesthetists are emphasized. This course is designed to aid the didactic student in their transition to the clinical phase of the program.

Semester hours: 3

View course details

A foundation of evidence-based (EBP) is presented utilizing research supported strategies to implement EBP findings in real-world settings. The nature of inquiry and evaluating designs, methods and measurements of evidence will be explored. The process of generating and evaluating outcomes will be emphasized.

Semester hours: 3

View course details

This course will prepare the student to design, influence and implement health care policies that frame ethical health care practice/education through financing, regulation, access, safety, quality and advocacy. The student will investigate health care policies that address issues of social justice and equity in health care. The student will apply two additional skill sets: the ability to analyze the policy process and the ability to engage in politically competent action. The student will engage proactively in the development and implementation of health policy at various levels, including institutional, local, state, regional, federal and international levels. Students will demonstrate the essential competencies to assume a leadership role in the development of ethical health policy by contrasting the major contextual factors and policy triggers that influence health policy-making at the various levels.

Semester hours: 3

View course details

What you’ll practice in simulation

General anesthesia, moderate to deep sedation, and local anesthetics
Advanced airway management
Spinal, epidural, and peripheral nerve blocks
Central venous line placement
Ultrasound-guided blocks and lines
Operating room emergencies

Faculty
You’ll learn from CRNA faculty, along with experts from Nebraska Medicine and the wider anesthesia community. Meet Our Nurse Anesthesia Faculty

Tuition and Fees

Clarkson College offers competitive tuition rates, along with several ways to help manage the cost of your education. Tuition rates per credit hour are posted here.

There are two components to your student account: tuition and fees. Refer to Student Accounts for information regarding tuition, fees, and out of pocket expenses sorted by program.

Learn More

2026-27 Tuition

Item	Cost
Nurse Anesthesia Courses	$1212 / credit-hour
Fees
Enrollment Fee - CRNA	$2000 / student
Program Fee	$300 / semester
Technology Fee	$175 / semester
Estimated Additional Program Costs
National Certification Exam	$1310 / student

For a complete breakdown of costs and situational expenses, view the Academic Catalog.

Clarkson College

Clarkson College

BSN to DNP - Nurse Anesthesia

Overview