FASNA School Spotlight: University of North Florida- Nurse Anesthesia Program
By: Kelly Suther and Mitsa Geric
In August 2006, the University of North Florida opened its doors to the inaugural class of the Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP). With all of the new programs in the state, it is exciting to have one located in Jacksonville in the northeast region of Florida. Prior to the beginning of the fall semester for the class of 20 students, the program received accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
Dr. John P. McDonough, CRNA, ARNP, the program director, is responsible for the development, accreditation, implementation, and administration of the program. In addition to his duties as professor in the didactic portion of the curriculum, he participates in clinical education as well as maintaining an active clinical practice in the administration of anesthesia. Along with his achievements in nurse anesthesia, he is also a Fellow and Diplomate to the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists. Dr. McDonough retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel after 30 years of service. Before coming to UNF he had been instrumental in the development of other nurse anesthesia programs. Dr. McDonough has also been active in numerous nursing organizations and has received many honors and recognitions.
Tammy Carroll, CRNA, MSN, the director’s primary assistant, is integral in the students’ curriculum both in the classroom and clinical rotations. In addition to her faculty role, Ms. Carroll also maintains an active clinical practice at a local Jacksonville facility. Other members of the NAP didactic faculty with academic rank of Professor include Jane McCarthy, CRNA, PhD, FAAN, Patrick Monaghan, CLS, PhD and Jürgen Osterbrink, CRNA, PhD. Dr. Osterbrink is the Dean, Institute of Nursing Sciences at the Medical University of Salzburg, Austria and a leading European researcher on the topic of pain. He travels to UNF each semester to lecture and will serve as a research advisor for NAP student projects. Assistant Professors include Nickolas Kalynych, CRNA, MS and Mark Welliver, CRNA, MS. At the Instructor rank we are pleased to have Jonathan Pabalate, CRNA, MSN and Adam Boyd, CRNA, MSN. Karin Marcha, MBBS, a physician trained in India serves as a research assistant in the NAP. In addition to the didactic university faculty, we are grateful to the many dedicated CRNAs and anesthesiologists in the community who have graciously agreed to give of their time to serve as our preceptors and share their considerable knowledge with us in the operating room.
There are a variety of clinical sites offered in the Jacksonville area that participate in the UNF program. The primary local sites of training include Shands Jacksonville, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, St. Vincent’s Medical Center and St. Luke’s/Mayo Clinic. An additional rotation in the Tampa Bay area is planned, giving students the opportunity to gain further clinical experience at Tampa General Hospital. Upon successful completion of the program, students will be awarded a Masters of Science in Nursing. Due to the large number of credit hours offered in the NAP, the graduate students will be well positioned for transition into a Doctor of Nursing Practice program if desired, as they will already have completed at least 92 credit hours.
UNF opened in 1972 and at that time had a student body of 2,000. Today, there are about 16,000 students at this comprehensive university. In addition to the students that come from Florida, predominantly in the northeast region, the university offers programs of study for national and international students alike. There are degree programs available at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. A recent addition to the doctoral level programs at UNF is the School of Nursing’s new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The DNP is a post MS degree for those who are already advanced practice nurses. The first cohort of doctoral students will begin studies this fall semester and will attend class on the UNF campus. It is planned that by fall semester 2008 the DNP program will be totally “on-line” making it accessible to advanced practice nurses in any location who can complete the program while remaining employed full time.
This exciting opportunity became possible in 2005 when the School of Nursing (SON) was selected as UNF’s first program to receive flagship status. In addition to enabling the SON to create the DNP program, it will also bring national recognition to the university. This will allow the nursing program to receive additional resources, which in the long run will be beneficial to northeast Florida. The SON had already been refining its curriculum to partner more closely with the community. These developments in the nursing department at the university have the ability to bring more students to the area, which ultimately results in more advanced practitioners in Jacksonville’s community.
Our class has had a presence at both regional and state organizational meetings, as we have consistently attended these events since our first term. A sizeable portion, 20% of the NAP student body also attended the recent CRNA day in Tallahassee, actively discussing current issues in nurse anesthesia with our state legislators. As our inaugural class begins the third semester in this new and exciting program, we are eagerly anticipating the start of the second class this August as they embark in their studies. We are proud to represent the UNF Nurse Anesthesia Program, as we strive to build a tradition of excellence in nurse anesthesia education. In 2006, program director Dr. John McDonough said, “We are going to groom people to become leaders, not only in the specialty of nurse anesthesia, but also the nursing profession in general.”
FASNA School Spotlight:
Wolford College Class of 2007b
FASNA School Spotlight:
Barry's MS in Anesthesiology Program
Barry University’s Master of Science in Anesthesiology Class of 2009 gather in front of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists’ timeline of anesthesiology. The university celebrated this program recently through National Nurse Anesthetists Week
By: Julianna M. Pietak
barry-news@mail.barry.edu
Barry University has the largest Master of Science in Anesthesiology program in the state and one of the largest in the nation. They celebrated this fact and their profession recently through National Nurse Anesthetists Week, Jan. 21 -27, 2007.
“We provide all types of anesthesia in all types of settings; that’s why the program is so intense,” said Program Director John McFadden, MS, CRNA.
Barry’s program has graduated over 350 students since it began in 1993, with 190 students currently enrolled from diverse backgrounds and ages. Nationwide, nurse anesthetists provide over 65 percent of anesthesia, delivering 27 million anesthetics to patients undergoing surgery, delivering babies or receiving trauma care. Their duties include staying with patients throughout the procedure, monitoring their vital signs and adjusting their anesthetics to ensure the safest, most comfortable anesthesia experience possible.
“It’s our philosophy,” McFadden said. “Every patient deserves a nurse. I don’t just cure you, I help you transition to a healthy state.”
All nurse anesthetists are required to pass a National Certification Examination, which entitles them to write the initials CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) after their name – a title recognized in all 50 states.
To provide information to current Barry students and the Barry community, the program offered an information session as part of National Nurse Anesthetists Week, Jan. 25. The session offered resources on both the national profession and the program at Barry.
“As we celebrated the profession, all my questions were answered by actual CRNA's,” said Luis DeRosa Jr., a current nursing student who attended the session.
“I had the opportunity to meet John J. McFadden, MS, CRNA, program director and Anthony Umadhay, MS, CRNA, assistant professor. They were both a breath of fresh air with a wealth of knowledge about anesthesia. The most important thing I gained from the seminar is meeting CRNAs that were just like me – down to earth, humble and excited about their choices. It was very encouraging and I look forward to one day being in their shoes.”
At Barry, Master of Science in Anesthesiology program runs continuously for seven semesters, with students participating in clinical experience at sites throughout Florida for most of this period. The program takes in over 1,300 inquiries and several hundred applications a year. Requirements to be accepted into the intense program include a current license as a registered nurse, and at least one year’s experience in a critical care setting.
John J. McFadden, MSN, MS, CRNA
Program Director
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Barry University
Master of Science Program in Anesthesiology
11300 NE Second Avenue
Miami Shores, Fl 33161-6695
Receptionist: 305-899-3230
Direct: 305-899-3287
Fax: 305-899-3366