FAQs

The last day to have a completed application submitted for the DNAP program is September 1st, with class beginning the following May.

An interview is required. The interview may be used to clarify aspects of the application and determine whether the student’s goals are a good match for Gonzaga’s DNAP program. It also provides an opportunity for the student to ask questions of faculty and students. Approximately 25 - 30 selected applicants will be invited to the mandatory on-site interviews which will be conducted over two or three days. Not all minimally qualified applicants will be offered interviews.

Personal interviews with members of the admissions committee are by invitation only and happen in October.

• Official transcripts (all colleges and universities attended)
• Three reference letters
• Professional resume/vitae
• Written statement
• Evidence of CCRN
• Application fee
• Current RN license

No – we require applicants to obtain their CCRN certification instead.

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is an advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) with a Master’s or doctoral degree who has graduated from an accredited program and passed the National Qualifying Examination. CRNAs administer 60% of the anesthetics given in the USA and practice in a variety of settings including small and large hospitals, general and specialty outpatient surgery centers, offices, obstetric units, and military settings. In rural America, CRNAs provide nearly all of the anesthesia services. CRNAs may work with anesthesiologists (physicians with a residency in anesthesia) in a team practice or may be the solo providers of anesthesia services in a facility or community.

The Gonzaga DNAP program is a 36-month (9 semester) full-time program beginning in May. Students will participate in courses full-time throughout the year with two weeks off in the summer.

Up to 20 candidates are accepted on a yearly basis.

• Application fee: $50
• Enrollment fee: $1000 payable along with the student’s letter of acceptance of an offered position. This money serves as a good faith intent to enroll, and will be credited to the first semester’s tuition. If the student does not enroll, he/she forfeits the enrollment fee.
• Students bear the cost of the mandatory drug screen upon enrollment; current cost is $75.
• Associate membership in the AANA is a one-time fee of $200 upon enrollment.
• $500 program fee per semester to aid in clinical housing.
• $250/year for electronic record keeping for certification requirement.
• The current cost of the national certifying exam is $995 and must be submitted with the student’s application 6 weeks prior to graduation.
• Malpractice insurance from AANA insurance, $275 per year.

Yes. The DNAP program will require in-person coursework and clinical practicum and the student must live in the greater Spokane area.

The program is full-time with didactic coursework at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center with occasional classes on campus at Gonzaga.

Some courses are offered as synchronous hybrid option while students are on outside clinical rotations.

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) has set the following minimum requirements for eligibility for the certification exam:

• Clinical cases: 650

A full list of case requirements is available on the COA webpage.

The program requires students to graduate with a minimum of 2,800 clinical hours to satisfy program requirements.

A student who has earned some credits, but has not completed a doctoral degree, may transfer up to 6 credits to apply toward completion of the degree requirements for the DNAP at the discretion of the program directors.

The candidate will engage in scholarly inquiry to analyze, evaluate, or transform a relevant aspect of clinical practice. The project may take on many forms, but will be specific to the candidate’s area of professional interest. Some possibilities include: implementation of evidence-based guidelines for clinical practice, an in-house education and training program that emerges as the best way to implement new knowledge, or a scholarly article submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be eligible to graduate.

The cost is a competitive $1,255 a credit.

Proof of shadow experiences is not required.

Yes. The Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Programs requires all students in a program are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) before beginning clinical activity.