Make patient safety real.
At VCU, baccalaureate-prepared Registered Nurses (RNs) can gain the requirements necessary to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and earn a practice-oriented doctoral degree, the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP). Our objective is to prepare graduates who have acquired knowledge, skills and competencies in patient safety, perianesthetic management, critical thinking and communication to fulfill their professional responsibility as CRNAs.
In addition, we offer a post-master’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree for CRNAs that builds upon previous education and experiences, and prepares individuals to assume leadership positions in education, management, and clinical practice. In 1979, VCU was the first in the nation to offer a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia and post-master’s completion program for practicing CRNAs. Today, VCU’s Department of Nurse Anesthesia has the faculty, programs and infrastructure in place to support graduate education and research in many health care disciplines.
The VCU Department of Nurse Anesthesia has also been consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 “Best in the Nation” for the nurse anesthesia specialty for over a decade.
The Department also includes a continuing education arm for anesthesia providers across the country; Nurse Anesthesiology Faculty Associates (NAFA). NAFA has been a recognized leader in offering continuing education opportunities to anesthesia providers for over 40 years. With nationally known speakers and exciting travel destinations, attendees can earn CE credits, enjoy fun experiences, and meet peer CRNAs while learning how to improve patient safety in your community. Mission and vision Our mission is to provide learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to work as part of an interprofessional team to serve the public through the delivery of safe, cost efficient, quality anesthesia services. We strive to develop leaders and scholars who will advance the specialty of nurse anesthesia through research, scholarship, and public service. We achieve our mission by establishing an environment that promotes excellence, values diversity, stimulates creativity, and recognizes achievement.
Mission and vision
Our mission is to provide learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to work as part of an interprofessional team to serve the public through the delivery of safe, cost efficient, quality anesthesia services. We strive to develop leaders and scholars who will advance the specialty of nurse anesthesia through research, scholarship, and public service. We achieve our mission by establishing an environment that promotes excellence, values diversity, stimulates creativity, and recognizes achievement.
Commitment to Diversity
The department values the diverse ethnic heritage of the faculty and students that we serve and are prepared for today’s global society and workforce. Faculty and students must be able to understand, appreciate, work with and learn from people with cultures and backgrounds different from their own. We strive to develop our inclusive culture; a culture that inspires us to try new things, speak openly and be bold. Inclusivity brings us together in ways that make us excellent and empowers all of us to connect, belong, and grow.