Admissions

RIC Zvart Onanian School of Nursing/SJHSNA admits 10 full-time students each year. Admission applications are to be submitted between June 15th and October 15th. All supporting documents are required with each application and must be submitted by October 15th. Applications submitted before the deadline will be carefully reviewed by the admissions committee and select applicants will be invited for a personal interview on a scheduled date. Those selected for a personal interview will be notified.

The applicant who has attended another nurse anesthesia program must submit documentation from the previous program director detailing the circumstances of withdrawal or dismissal.

Requirements for admission:

  1. Meet admission requirements of the RIC Zvart Onanian School of Nursing BSN to DNP program.
  2. Due to clinical rotations at hospitals in Massachusetts, a license is also required for Massachusetts.
  3. A Personal interview is required.
  4. Completion of an Organic Chemistry course with a minimum grade of C (preferred grade of B) within 7 years of the applicant starting the Nurse Anesthesia program.
  5. A preferred undergraduate science GPA of 3.0.
  6. Of the three required references, one must be from a clinical supervisor.
  7. Current BLS and ACLS certification (PALS certification prior to clinical).
  8. CCRN Certification preferred.
  9. Minimum of 1 year of critical care experience (equal to or greater than 30 hours/week).
    • Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories, or a US military hospital outside of the United States. During this experience, the registered professional nurse is to have developed critical decision-making and psychomotor skills, competency in patient assessment, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. A critical care area is defined as one where, on a routine basis, the registered professional nurse manages one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (such as pulmonary artery catheter, CVP, arterial); cardiac assist devices; mechanical ventilation; and vasoactive drips. The critical care areas include intensive care units. Those who have experience in other areas may be considered provided they can demonstrate competence with invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.
  10. Skills and abilities applicants and students must demonstrate:
    • Observation: Candidates must have sufficient sensory capacity to observe in the lecture hall, the laboratory, the outpatient setting, and at the patient’s bedside. Sensory skills adequate to perform a physical examination. Functional hearing and tactile sensation must be adequate to observe a patient’s condition and to elicit information from computerized monitors, and procedures regularly required in a physical examination, such as inspection, auscultation and palpation.
    • Communication: Candidates must be able to communicate effectively in both academic and healthcare settings. Candidates must show evidence of effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work in teams.
    • Motor: The ability to participate in basic, diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers and procedures (e.g. palpation, auscultation, drawing blood, starting IV) is required. Candidates must have sufficient motor skills to execute movements reasonably required to provide care to patients, including the ability to help move or lift them. Candidates must be able to negotiate patient care environments and must be able to move between settings, such as clinics, classroom buildings, and hospitals.
    • Physical stamina: Sufficient to complete the rigorous course of didactic and clinical study is required. Long periods of sitting, standing, or moving are required in classroom, laboratory and clinical experiences.
    • Intellectual: Candidates must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize, both in quiet environments and in areas where distractions, noise and other stressors are present. Problem-solving is a critical skill demanded of CRNAs. This requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, candidates should be able to comprehend graphics displays of physiologic data, distinguish artifacts on monitor displays, and understand three-dimensional relationships and the spatial relationships of structure. Candidates must be able to read and understand medical and nursing literature. In order to complete the degree, they must be able to demonstrate mastery of these skills and the ability to use them together in a timely and often critical fashion in problem-solving and patient care.
    • Behavioral and Social Attributes: Candidates must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the prompt completion of all academic and patient care responsibilities. The development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and other members of the healthcare team is essential. The ability to effectively function in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical practice, flexibility, compassion, integrity, motivation, interpersonal skills and concern for others are all required.

In any case, where a candidate's ability to observe or acquire information through these sensory modalities is compromised, the candidate must demonstrate alternative means and/or abilities to acquire and demonstrate the essential information without reliance upon another person's interpretation of the information.