Program Outcomes

Goals of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

The AACN goals for Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs are to:

  1. Prepare nurse leaders to assume clinical, leadership, executive, public policy and/or teaching roles.
  2. Prepare nurse leaders to synthesize and apply knowledge to improve population outcomes.
  3. Prepare nurse leaders to collaborate with other disciplines to improve the delivery of health care.
  4. Prepare nurse leaders to affect health policy through the application of knowledge.

DNP Program Outcomes

At the completion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, the graduate will:

  1. Students will meet professional behavioral standards for the advanced practice nurse.
  2. Apply systems and organizational leadership in the provision of advanced practice nursing initiatives
  3. Engage in clinical scholarship by synthesizing and translating evidence into quality improvement and practice initiatives
  4. Apply communication strategies with individuals, families, and groups in providing advanced nursing care or practice initiatives
  5. Develop and lead inter-professional teams to improve patient and population health outcomes.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge development in the practice of advanced nursing care to individuals, families, groups, and communities.
  7. Analyze the role of health policy and advocacy in the provision of health care.

Nurse Anesthesia Program Outcomes

At the completion of the Nurse Anesthesia DNP Program, the graduate must demonstrate the ability to:

Patient Safety

  1. Be vigilant in the delivery of patient care.
  2. Refrain from engaging in extraneous activities that abandon or minimize vigilance while providing direct patient care.
  3. Conduct a comprehensive equipment check.
  4. Protect patients from iatrogenic complications.

    5. Perianesthesia

  5. Provide individualized care throughout the perianesthesia continuum.
  6. Deliver culturally competent perianesthesia care.
  7. Provide anesthesia services to all patients across the lifespan.
  8. Perform a comprehensive history and physical assessment.
  9. Administer general anesthesia to patients with a variety of physical conditions.
  10. Administer general anesthesia for a variety of surgical and medically related procedures.
  11. Administer and manage a variety of regional anesthetics.
  12. Maintain current certification in ACLS and PALS.

    13. Critical Thinking

  13. Apply knowledge to practice in decision making and problem solving
  14. Provide nurse anesthesia services based on evidence-based principles.
  15. Perform a preanesthetic assessment before providing anesthesia services.
  16. Assume responsibility and accountability for diagnosis.
  17. Formulate an anesthesia plan of care before providing anesthesia services.
  18. Identify and take appropriate action when confronted with anesthetic equipment-related malfunctions.
  19. Interpret and utilize data obtained from noninvasive and invasive monitoring modalities.
  20. Calculate, initiate, and manage fluid and blood component therapy.
  21. Recognize, evaluate, and manage the physiological responses coincident to the provision of anesthesia services.
  22. Recognize and appropriately manage complications that occur during the provision of anesthesia services.
  23. Use science-based theories and concepts to analyze new practice approaches.
  24. Pass the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCRNA.

    25. Communication

  25. Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients and their families.
  26. Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective interprofessional exchange of information and collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
  27. Respect the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of interprofessional care.
  28. Maintain comprehensive, timely, accurate, and legible healthcare records.
  29. Transfer the responsibility for care of the patient to other qualified providers in a manner that assures continuity of care and patient safety.
  30. Teach others.

    31. Leadership

  31. Integrate critical and reflective thinking in his or her leadership approach.
  32. Provide leadership that facilitates intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration.

    33. Professional Role

  33. Adhere to the Code of Ethics for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
  34. Interact on a professional level with integrity.
  35. Apply ethically sound decision-making processes.
  36. Function within legal and regulatory requirements.
  37. Accept responsibility and accountability for his or her practice.
  38. Provide anesthesia services to patients in a cost-effective manner.
  39. Demonstrate knowledge of wellness and substance use disorder in the anesthesia profession through completion of content in wellness and substance use disorder.
  40. Inform the public of the role and practice of the CRNA.
  41. Evaluate how public policy making strategies impact the financing and delivery of healthcare.
  42. Advocate for health policy change to improve patient care.
  43. Advocate for health policy change to advance the specialty of nurse anesthesia.
  44. Analyze strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
  45. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of populations.
  46. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of clinical settings.
  47. Analyze health outcomes in a variety of systems.
  48. Disseminate scholarly work.
  49. Use information systems/technology to support and improve patient care.
  50. Use information systems/technology to support and improve healthcare systems.
  51. Analyze business practices encountered in nurse anesthesia delivery settings.

Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs - Practice Doctorate, Page 17-20, Revised January 30, 2021