Building on the strength of its esteemed graduate healthcare programs, Bellarmine
University is adding a Nurse Anesthesia track to its Doctor of Nursing Practice degree offerings (DNP-NA) that will prepare nurses for high-paying jobs and a higher level of autonomy
in a growing career field.
The new DNP-NA program is supported with funding from a five-year, $2.4 million partnership with Norton Healthcare鈥攖he largest funded partnership in the university鈥檚 history鈥攖hat was announced earlier
this year. 鈥淎t Bellarmine, we are nationally recognized for providing top-tier talent
across high-demand fields, including healthcare, through innovative employer partnerships,鈥�
said President Susan M. Donovan. 鈥淭his new track in our Doctor of Nursing Practice
program will give nurses who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing a path toward a
rewarding career and will provide our region with much-needed healthcare professionals.鈥�
Nurse anesthetists practice in virtually every healthcare setting, including surgical
suites, labor and delivery units, endoscopy, lithotripsy and interventional areas.
They can practice without a physician鈥檚 supervision making them a valuable addition
to the provider team in a variety of healthcare settings. 鈥淐ertified Registered Nurse
Anesthetists graduating today can essentially select the work environment that is
best-suited to their own individual skills and interests,鈥� said Dr. Carly Mitchell,
director of Bellarmine鈥檚 DNP-NA program. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects
that overall jobs for nurse anesthetists will grow more than 14 percent through 2029,
more than triple the number of other occupations. The median annual wage for nurse
anesthetists was $195,610 in May 2021. To develop and support the DNP-NA program,
Bellarmine will use $300,000 annually for the first two years of the five-year Norton
Healthcare partnership. In addition, students may complete required clinical practicum
experiences in Norton Healthcare hospitals. 鈥淭hanks to our formal partnership with
Norton Healthcare, students in 农夫导航鈥檚 Nurse Anesthesia Program will
have the unique opportunity to complete all of their clinical education experiences
in some of the region鈥檚 leading hospitals without having to leave the Louisville area,鈥�
Mitchell said. 鈥淣orton Healthcare is proud to support this additional advanced nursing
degree,鈥� said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare and chair of
Bellarmine's Board of Trustees. 鈥淲e are pleased that this investment will enable nurses
to advance their education and expand their career opportunities, while helping us
meet the health care needs of this community.鈥� The $2.4 million Bellarmine-Norton
Healthcare partnership also supports sports medicine, campus wellness and nursing. 鈥淲e
are deeply connected to our home in Louisville, and to the surrounding region, through
our distinctive community engagement and professional partnerships,鈥� Donovan said.
鈥淲e are grateful for the ongoing support of Norton Healthcare in working with us to
improve the lives not only of our students, but those of the patients they will serve.鈥� Applicants
to the DNP-NA program must have a BSN or higher degree from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited
nursing program and proof of active, unrestricted license to practice nursing in Kentucky
and/or compact states. Certification as a Critical Care Registered Nurse and a minimum
of one year of current, continuous full-time employment as a registered nurse in a
critical care setting are required. The 36-month DNP-NA program is divided into nine
semesters. Formal classes begin each year in August. The first two semesters consist
of full-time study online, followed by seven semesters of full-time study on-site.
For more information and to apply, visit the DNP-NA admission site.
Photo: Dr. Carly Mitchell, the program administrator for the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse
Anesthesia Program at 农夫导航, works alongside Tara Gardner, CRNA, at
Norton Women's and Children's Hospital in Louisville. Photo by Brendan J. Sullivan