A new doctorate program at La Roche College offers the opportunity for nurse anesthetists to prepare for leadership roles in today’s health care arena.
The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) is a practice-oriented program for advanced nurse anesthetist clinicians to elevate the quality of patient care and to prepare for leadership roles involving health care policy, administration and education. With classes offered online, the 26-credit program is designed to meet the needs of working professionals. The full-time option is offered in three consecutive semesters, beginning in early summer with an on-campus weeklong residency.
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies & Adult Education Rosemary McCarthy, Ph.D., RN, said, “La Roche is responding to today’s health care needs. With the ever-changing health care environment, it is imperative that as providers, we continually expand our knowledge base and skill sets. The DNAP program will challenge students intellectually and position graduates so that they will be at the forefront of advanced nursing practice.”
Students who successfully complete the DNAP program will be prepared to:
- Analyze current and emerging scientific knowledge and technologies to provide the highest level of nurse anesthesia practice
- Translate applicable evidence-based research findings into practice
- Initiate changes in response to social, political, economic and ethical issues in health care
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in the design, implementation and evaluation of programs and policies for improvement of health care
- Develop leadership skills to meet the challenges of increasingly complex health care and educational environments affecting the practice of nurse anesthesia
For more than 25 years, La Roche has been a leader in nurse anesthesia education by continuously meeting the challenges of changing health care trends and adopting new academic standards. After a decade of offering a bachelor’s degree in the field, the College moved its curriculum to the graduate level by offering a Master of Science in Health Science (Nurse Anesthesia) in 1987. This program followed a mandate by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) that anesthesia education be offered at the graduate level by the late 1990s.
The strong reputations of La Roche’s health science program and Pittsburgh’s health care arena have attracted students from across the country and around the world to pursue advanced specialty education in nurse anesthesia. In turn, health science graduates are highly sought for positions nationwide. Currently La Roche’s graduate program in nurse anesthesia boasts a 100 percent job placement rate.
Visit laroche.edu/dnap to learn more about the program and to apply. Candidates must submit all application materials by April 15 to be considered for the summer 2016 term. Applicants also may contact the Office of Graduate Studies & Adult Education at 412-536-1260 or [email protected].
About La Roche College: A private liberal arts college in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, La Roche College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, six graduate degree programs and one doctorate program, with particular strengths in education, business, criminal justice, psychology, and health and medical sciences, as well as interior design and graphic design. This residential college provides a vibrant campus community for more than 1,500 men and women enjoying 30-plus student organizations and an exciting NCAA Div. III athletics program. Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche College embraces its Catholic heritage while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds. With a legacy of social justice and a commitment to international exchange, La Roche College educates students to be lifelong learners and achievers in an increasingly diverse and global society.
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