10 Most Affordable Certified Nurse Anesthetist Programs
Nurse anesthetists play an important asset in every clinic, hospital or urgent care hospital.
They utilize their skills and experience to deliver relief and manage the pain of patients who are undergoing a surgical procedure.
They are also responsible for providing medical support for patients going through other emergency treatments.
However, the road to becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist is a rocky one, not only because it’s a challenging position, but because of abnormally expensive educational programs.
In this article, we’re going to highlight the most affordable certified nurse anesthetist programs, read on!
According to Salary.com, projected as from January 20, 2020, the average certified registered nurse anesthetist salary was fixed at $184,458, which is vastly greater than in the last years.
The other percentiles, based on the location, working experience and level of education, show that the salary goes between $169,520 and $201,223.
The salaries are projected to grow in the future, reaching over $215,000 on average.
Even though it sounds like a really satisfying salary, education can get really expensive.
Don’t be spooked, however, the schools we listed offer approachable tuition fees and a lot of studying benefits.
10 Most Affordable Certified Nurse Anesthetist Programs
1. Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing
Tuition fees: $45,395
Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing excels at offering various medical programs for students. It was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1824 as Jefferson College. Its medical wing was founded in 1825. One of the programs that offer nurse anesthetist degree is the Doctor of Nursing Practice which provides an entry-level nurse anesthetist degree. It lasts 36 months, although there’s a requirement for a BSN with students having an active license to work.
Students will enroll in a variety of coursework. They will learn about quality management and the outcomes of poor quality management. The students learn how to make better medical decisions during clinical activities, enhance their knowledge from physics and chemistry in regards to anesthesia. Finally, they’ll have over 2000 hours of clinical practice.
Upon the program completion, students will be able to provide anesthetic treatment and support during operations. The college has a record of successful students with great accomplishments in the career field. There are over 900 students currently enrolled in the school.
2. University of Alabama Birmingham School of Nursing
In-state tuition fees: $57,630
Out-of-state tuition fees: $135,939
The UAB School of Nursing began as the Medical College of Alabama was originally founded in 1859, and established in 1966 as we know it. The university in entirety has over 18,000 students with accreditation earned from the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges.
The school currently offers various degrees in the field. However, if you’re looking for an affordable program for a registered nurse anesthetist, the best option for you is Doctor of Nursing Practice. The program focuses on anesthesia providing. The program also holds the 65th spot as the Best Nursing Anesthesia Program by U.S. News and World Report.
To get into this program, you already need to have an accredited degree of an MSN or BSN. You also need to be licensed in the medical field and have worked for at least a year in the medical field. The school lists which acute clinical experience it approves, including CCU, MICU, CVICU, SICU, Burn/Trauma ICU and others.
The students will engage in diverse coursework that will help them earn their degrees. They’ll learn about different principles of providing anesthesia support, anesthesia pharmacology, physiology and anatomy, and others. Lastly, they’ll engage in 1,125 hours in anesthesia immersion to complete their practical work.
3. Rush University: The College of Nursing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsJsXa_RYEw
Tuition fees: $36,788
Rush University is praised for the program called Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia. It’s located in Chicago Illinois and for over 50 years it accepted and worked with dedicated students who wanted to excel at this discipline. They participate in different practical work and settings which prepares them to deliver anesthesia to patients during surgical procedures.
The program requires the applicants to participate in at least two or one year of active work in the medical field and providing care in a critical environment as a registered nurse. The program itself requires 36 months to complete and functions as a full-time and on-campus engagement.
The CRNA program is equipped with a strong and aggressive curriculum where students are taught to function in a wide array of situations. The program prepares students to work within tertiary medical centers, community hospitals, armed services, and Veterans Administrations, anesthesia practices that are office-based. Lastly, the future anesthetist nurses are well-versed in functioning in rural and underserved hospitals.
4. School of Health Professions – Texas Wesleyan University
Tuition fees: $76,238
Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas offers an MSN in Nurse Anesthesia and is considered one of the most valuable medical universities in the states. It excels at providing comprehensive courses and helps produce hardworking, dedicated and skilled workers in the medical field.
This program that has an extensive curriculum takes 28 months to complete and prepare future registered nurses to work in a critical environment where medical decision making is paramount during difficult surgical procedures. The curriculum is split in a way that students can have an effective pace at learning. That said, the first year of studies focuses on theoretical syllabus and helps students understand the broad and theoretical meaning behind the medical practices in anesthetist nursing.
Students can choose to study the first year either in the classroom or online. Afterward, students will participate in a practical 16-month long clinical nurse course in one of the 21 hospitals approved for practical work. It is one of the most affordable medical universities with a lot of accreditation and scholarship options at disposal.
Read More: 5 Best Medical Schools in Texas
5. Nursing Programs at The University of Scranton
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $11,630
The University of Scranton in Pennsylvania offers a prestigious MSN in Nurse Anesthesia with some of the cheapest tuitions and fees available. Aspiring certified nurse workers can easily advance through this innovative and intuitive program and select one of the two pathways that will pave their way onto the career in medical space.
This master’s degree consists of 63 credit hours and requires 550 cases. The program also makes it easier for nurses who already have a master’s degree from nursing but want to get the anesthesia providing certification to assist in surgical procedures. They can take the master’s program that requires 51 credit hours. The university ranks as 65th in the list of 177 nursing schools and programs according to the U.S. News and World Report.
Aside from the original requirements for the program, the enrolling students need to have done at least one year of work in critical care and have had nursing experience. Additionally, the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification is required, as well as the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification. Lastly, to become a certified nurse anesthetist, the student needs to have completed two courses of college-level chemistry.
6. Augusta University College of Nursing
In-state tuition/fees: $53,946
Out-of-state tuition/fees: $110,727
The Augusta University was founded in Augusta in Georgia back in 1828. After that, it adopted the Medical College of Georgia, considered one of the oldest medical schools in the state. There are various medical programs within the school including BSN, MSN, Ph.D., and DNP degrees. There is also a program for nursing called Master of Science in Nursing which completely focuses on providing the anesthesia towards patients in the operation halls.
The program in itself consists of seven semesters and it combines didactic and pedagogy studies with critical clinical experience. The program gets its accreditation by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Council on Accreditation Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA.) The program takes 81 Credit Hours to complete and there are tuition and fees for both resident and out-of-state students.
Students will learn how to administer anesthesia (both general and regional), sedation, approach adults and children alike and prepare for working in different surgical environments. They will specialize in general surgery, otolaryngology, orthopedics, vascular, neurology, and cardiac conditions. Students will enroll in various practical programs and administer over 800 anesthetics over 2,000 clinical hours. Once they graduate, students will need to pass the National Certification Examination before they can fully work as a nurse anesthetist.
7. School of Nursing – Western Carolina University
In-state tuition/fees: $57,506
Out-of-state tuition/fees: $68,593
Western Carolina University in North Carolina was established in 1889 with a vision to bring great career opportunities for the residents of Western North Carolina. It offers a great variety of medical programs, including enhancements for BSN to MSN and BSN to DNP. The programs focus on providing anesthesia to patients going on surgeries.
The program has been accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs and takes 28 months to complete, or 66 Credit Hours. The educational program provides a wide range of courses including anesthesiology and principles within it, pharmacology, physiology, and various research approaches.
Also Read: 8 Best BSN Programs in California (The Average Annual Bsn Salary In California Is $103,150)
8. School of Nursing & Allied Health – Newman University
Tuition/fees: $60,300
Newman University from Wichita in Kansas originates from a Catholic university that goes back to 1902. It was founded by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ sisters founded several boy and girl schools in Wichita to provide better educational opportunities for residents of this state. It changed names several times but it continued growing, offering a great variety of options – one of which is the Master of Nurse Anesthesia focusing on administering anesthesia.
Naturally, this course requires students to have already completed the BSN courses and will teach students the basic rules and methodologies of applying the anesthesia. Students learn in-depth chemistry, pharmacology and anesthesia, deepen their knowledge from anatomy and enhance their knowledge from physiology, and others. Once the course is completed, they will have to go through 2,400 clinical hours to graduate, with knowing how to administer regional and general anesthesia. The program takes 60 Credit Hours to complete.
9. East Carolina University College of Nursing
In-state tuition/fees: $35,126
Out-of-state tuition/fees: $77,369
The East Carolina University College of Nursing is located in Greenville, North Carolina. It was established in 1907 with over 29,000 students’ current enrollment. The nurses started attending this educational institution since 1957. Currently, this school holds the 28th place in U.S News and World Report.
The institution offers several medical programs. However, a Master of Science in Nursing focuses on anesthesia distribution. The Pirate Anesthesia Nurse Anesthesia Program got accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
There are a lot of diverse courses future nurses attend, including detailed principles of pharmacology, physics, and chemistry, gross anatomy, as well as a clinical practicum. The course offers advanced educational methodologies and lasts 28 months.
10. Nursing (BSN) – Florida Gulf Coast University
In-state tuition/fees: $30,313
Out-of-state tuition/fees: $105,381
Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public educational institution, with a distinct rank in U.S. News and World Report’s ranking. It was founded in 1991 and offers a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration on anesthesia administration. It holds the accreditation of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)
There are various courses offered in the program, including physiology, anatomy, chemistry, and physics in anesthesia, pharmacology as well as further clinical practice that establishes the graduation to future registered nurse anesthetists.
The Florida Gulf Coast University holds a student enrollment of 14,000 students and consists of various other colleges other than just medical schools. This program, however, takes 28 months to complete and is a full-time program.
Conclusion
The United States has a great variety of schools that can offer the nurse anesthetist programs, with great post-graduate results for the most hardworking students.
However, there are medical schools that may be too expensive despite the accreditations and scholarships they offer. In the long run, this education is worth it, thanks to the vast annual salary these schools offer.
It’s worth noting that some medical schools on this list offer the same tuition and fees for both in-state and out-of-state students.
However, there are also separate tuitions depending on your residency.
Finally, all these programs require a bachelor’s degree and work experience and require certain certifications after graduation to successfully administer anesthesia in different healthcare institutions.
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