University set to begin anesthesia program
Graduate classes to start after accreditation
By Lauren Hanvey
Staff Reporter

The new School of Nurse Anesthesia is now reviewing applications for prospective graduate students. The idea for the school originated two years ago because of a demand for another one of its kind in the area, nursing school officials say.

However, officials say the school cannot admit anyone until it is accredited. Classes in the new school are set to begin in fall 2003, pending final accreditation this May, said Rhonda Keen-Payne, dean of the School of Health and Human Sciences.

The need for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA’s) in the area led TCU to create the school, said Sharon Hudson, assistant to the dean.

TCU will take on three new faculty members to start the program, two of which have already been hired, Kay Sanders, director of the School of Nurse Anesthesia, said. The School of Nurse Anesthesiology will not be part of the Harris School of Nursing, Keen-Payne said.

Keen-Payne said applicants must have a bachelor of science degree and at least one year of critical-care experience and that interviews will begin this February. All students who are offered admission for the first semester will be notified by March 31, she said.

Tuition and fees will be $36,000 for the entire 28-month program, Keen-Payne said.

She said she is reluctant to admit more than 60 students for the fall 2003 because she wants to leave room for error in the beginning.

“Every new program has glitches,” Keen-Payne said.

Sanders also said she wants to limit admission.

“It would harm not only the profession, but the people of the United States if we take people just because we want the numbers,” she said.

For the first two semesters, students will stay in classrooms and practice on a human patient simulator, Sanders said. Hands-on training in hospitals will begin in the second year of study, she said.

The school is now in the process of contracting with hospitals that will host the clinicals, Keen-Payne said. Eventually there will be six full-time faculty members and about 12 clinical coordinators, she said.

“We’ve got several undergraduate students who have already come in to me and shown interest in continuing,” Keen-Payne said.

Anne Todaro, a senior nursing major, said she is interested in the program for the future.

“Harris School of Nursing has been wonderful, and I am very grateful for my experiences,” Todaro said. “I would definitely consider continuing my master’s degree with TCU’s program.”

Allison Selmon, a junior nursing major, said she is considering the new program because tuition for the master’s degree is half the price for students who earned a bachelor’s degree at TCU.

Nurse anesthesia programs are very competitive, said Stephanie Powers, a senior nursing major.

“The vision I have is to grow a very creative, innovative program for such an important ... profession,” Sanders said.

For more information or to download an application visit (www.CRNA.tcu.edu).

Lauren Hanvey
l.e.hanvey@tcu.edu