The Nurse Anesthesia Program at Midwestern University provides students with a solid foundation in the basic sciences and teaches all aspects of anesthesia management. The clinical practicums challenge students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to actual administration of anesthesia under the guidance of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and anesthesiologists at multiple clinical sites in the region. Graduates will be able to work in a variety of settings including urban and rural hospitals, same-day surgery centers, doctors' offices, and pain clinics. The program is also committed to providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in scholarly work that will contribute to their body of knowledge. The MWU 27-month Nurse Anesthesia Program consists of two phases. The first phase (4 quarters) provides the student with a strong foundation in the basic sciences, as well as courses that address all aspects of anesthesia equipment and anesthesia management. All coursework in the first phase of the program must be completed before starting the second phase of the program. The second phase (5 quarters) encompasses the clinical practicum and a research-based project related to anesthesia. The clinical phase begins in the summer of the second year of the program and provides students with the necessary hands-on experience to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to the practice of nurse anesthesia in a variety of practice settings. All students will be considered for rotation to clinical sites in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Washington state, and all available clinical locations. Thus, a student may be assigned to rotations in any combination of these states as needed to ensure the best quality set of clinical rotations. Students must make their own arrangements for transportation and lodging at these clinical sites. The University does not provide for the cost of transportation or lodging. These sites will provide students with a broad scope of experiences in rural, urban, and suburban hospitals, as well as specialty rotations in cardiac surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are anesthesia specialists. They administer approximately 65% of the 26 million anesthetics given to patients each year in the United States. CRNAs are the sole anesthesia providers in more than 65% of rural hospitals in the United States, enabling these health care facilities to provide obstetrical, surgical, and trauma stabilization services. CRNAs provide anesthetics to patients in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other qualified health care professionals. When anesthesia is administered by a nurse anesthetist, it is recognized as the practice of nursing; when administered by an anesthesiologist, it is recognized as the practice of medicine.

* Anesthesia specialist providing every type of anesthetic * CRNAs safely administer 32 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States * Collaborate with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, other health professional (Reference: American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (www.aana.com), Accessed February 13, 2013)