General Information

Mission Statement
The program, within the realm of good patient care and hospital policies and procedures, seeks to graduate in-depth, knowledgeable, self-motivated, professional nurse anesthetists, capable of participating in all anesthesia related patient care areas, including: teaching, research, and community activities. Knowing that present day anesthesia knowledge, as in every medical field, will be outdated in a few years, we aim to prepare independent anesthetists with the knowledge and capability to continually further their own education and seek expert advice when necessary.

Program Philosophy
To provide all students with excellent clinical and didactic training in the profession of nurse anesthesia, as well as provide the community with highly qualified and well-trained anesthesia providers. It is felt that our students are adult learners who should be self-motivated, and competent to assume responsibility for their education. It is believed this will help them become superior anesthesia providers.

Housing & Transportation
Housing is the responsibility of the student. Information regarding available housing in the area may be obtained by contacting the school office.

Meals
Students may purchase meals in the hospital employee cafeteria at reduced employee prices.

Financial Assistance
Financial assistance information is available through the School of Nurse Anesthesia.

Time Commitment
Students will not be required to commit more than an average of 65 hours per week in didactic and/or clinical areas. This figure represents time for clinical practicum, classes, and preparation for class and clinical experience.

Call Experience
Students are periodically assigned to take call with a CRNA Instructor following the completion of basic orientation. They do not have clinical commitments on the day following call. Students are required to attend any scheduled classes on their day off after call.

Employment
No student anesthetist, by position or responsibility, may be employed at any time to administer anesthesia, at any location, during the program. Part-time employment is strongly advised against and should not interfere with academic and clinical commitments. Students who have academic or clinical problems should not seek part-time employment as a nurse until such problems are resolved.

Transfer
We do not accept transfer students. Should one of our students wish to transfer, we will supply all the necessary records.

Grading Policies
For courses taken at Truman Medical Center School of Nurse Anesthesia, all students are required to achieve a passing score of 80% or greater in all courses. An overall score of less than 80% will result in no credit given for the course. Furthermore, any test score of less than 80% will result in no credit fro a test. A student may retake a test twice if he or she received less than an 80%. If an 80% score is not achieved after the second retake, the student will receive no credit for the test and may be placed on academic probation.

For course work taken at UMKC, all students must comply with UMKC Graduate School of Biological Sciences grading policies, which are available on the UMKC Web site and included in each syllabus.

Deferral of Graduation
Deferred graduation will be considered whenever the student has not successfully completed the minimum clinical and didactic anesthesia requirements as defined by the Council on Certification.

Graduation Criteria

1. Successful completion of the didactic curriculum.
2. Satisfactory clinical performance based upon the attainment of all interim and terminal behavioral objectives.
3. Completion of the requirements for application to write the Certification Examination of the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists, including administration of a minimum of 550 anesthetics (in the anatomical categories).

Students who successfully meet the graduation criteria for both UMKC and the Truman Medical Center School of Nurse Anesthesia will be awarded a Certificate in Nurse Anesthesia and a Master of Arts in Biology degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Last Updated 7/8/2005