A-State Nurse Anesthesia Program to Celebrate 20th Anniversary
JONESBORO – The nurse anesthesia program at Arkansas State University is celebrating its 20th anniversary. A celebration will be held Saturday, July 29, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the third floor of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences.
"Since A-State’s nurse anesthesia program’s inception, it has strived to graduate strong and competent clinical nurse anesthesia experts capable of practicing independently in the delivery of anesthesia," said Dr. Todd Hammon, director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) nurse anesthesia program.Dr. Cassandra Massey, assistant program director, said that in Arkansas there are more than 800 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and about 130 anesthesiologists.“Over 80% of all anesthetics delivered in Arkansas are delivered by CRNAs. A-State began its program in 2003 and graduated its first class in 2005,” said Massey.Since then, 660 students have completed the master’s prepared CRNA program. The College of Nursing and Health Professions transitioned to a DNP nurse anesthesia degree in 2021."A-State CRNA graduates shine as examples for our current students who strive for mastery in anesthesia and most importantly, show our students that becoming a CRNA is a goal that is achievable with a lot of dedication and hard work," said Hammon.
“The nurse anesthesia program is a 36-month graduate nursing program that requires the student to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing with at least one year or more experience in a high acuity intensive care unit,” said Massey.
Massey said there is a competitive interview process for the 30 seats available for the program. This year’s third cohort of students was admitted this summer, with the total number of students enrolled at 86.“The program has seen great success in the first 20 years, and we hope to see many more successes and growth in the future. We are looking to expand our laboratory facilities to gain more state-of-the-art equipment for more realistic anesthesia training,” she added.
"We have graduates who work in both hospital systems here in Jonesboro, many of the outpatient centers and in office settings. One would be hard-pressed to find a hospital, big or small, in our surrounding communities, and in much of Arkansas, that doesn’t either have an A-State CRNA graduate working full-time or part-time," added Hammon.One may RSVP to the celebratory event by reaching out to Mary Bouchard at mbouchard@AState.edu.
Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences
