Introduction
Our next Open House is scheduled for July 29, 2024. Email Missy Holzmeyer at ms26@rzsg.net for more information and to RSVP.
The University of Evansville's Nurse Anesthesia Program has joined the rich collection of strong health professions programs already offered by UE. The Nurse Anesthesia Program is housed on the UE campus; however, students will also take courses at The Stone Family Center for Health Sciences. This state-of-the-art multi-institutional campus provides unique opportunities for interprofessional experiences among various health professional students, collaborative learning, and research opportunities.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Nurse anesthetists have been providing anesthesia care to patients in the United States for more than 150 years. CRNAS are anesthesia professionals who safely administer more than 49 million anesthetics to patients each year in the U.S., according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) 2019 Member Profile Survey. CRNAs are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural America, enabling healthcare facilities in these medically underserved areas to offer obstetrical, surgical, pain management and trauma stabilization services.
As advanced practice registered nurses, CRNAs practice with a high degree of autonomy and professional respect. They carry a heavy load of responsibility and are compensated accordingly. In addition, the cost efficiency of CRNAs helps control escalating healthcare costs. For more facts and resources about nurse anesthesia, visit aana.com.
The Bureau of Labor projects that the job outlook for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) is very strong. Their estimate is for employment of nurse anesthetists to grow 31 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Accreditation
The University of Evansville has received accreditation for its Nurse Anesthesia program from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) in May 2021. In July 2020, the University was granted accreditation to offer the DNAP Program by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
All of the University of Evansville's existing health and education professional programs for which specialty accreditation exists are accredited by the appropriate specialized accreditation body. Those agencies are the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, the Accreditation Review Commission of Education for Physician Assistants, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.
More Information
For additional information about the University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Program, please contact:
![Melissa Fitch](/images/people/mf245.jpg)
Dr. Melissa Fitch, DNP, CRNA
Founding Administrator of the University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Program
Room 203, Graves Hall
812-488-5650
mf245@rzsg.net