Total Program Credits: 85
Jefferson’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) — Nurse Anesthesia program, fully accredited through 2029, prepares nurses to provide anesthesia care during surgical and obstetrical procedures, and to provide pain relief in hospitals of all sizes.
Students in this integrated 36-month, nine-semester program take 85 credits. Its full-time curriculum integrates didactic coursework with over 2,000 hours of clinical practice hours, ensuring that students will administer more than 650 anesthetics to patients undergoing a wide variety of surgical and/or diagnostic procedures.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice is a practice doctorate designed to prepare professional nurses for scholarly practice as clinical and health systems experts who will lead and inspire health care improvement and reform.
- Focuses on leadership, systems thinking, reflective practice, health policy, implementation science and evidenced-based clinical practice
- Includes two practica that comprise the doctoral practice inquiry project and provide the opportunity for application of knowledge gained in all the courses
Program Outcomes
- Participate in activities and self-reflection that foster personal and professional wellbeing and resilience, contribute to lifelong learning, and support the development of leadership. (Domain 1)
- Lead and integrate initiatives which drive person-and family-centered care that is culturally responsive, just, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate. (Domain 2)
- Appraise practice patterns and risk stratification to lead evidence-based initiatives that improve holistic care, collaborating in traditional and non-traditional partnerships for the improvement of equitable population health outcomes. (Domain 3)
- Design, implement, evaluate, and disseminate scholarly inquiries that incorporate evidence appraisal, research translation, and best practices to improve outcomes. (Domain 4)
- Design and lead quality and safety initiatives using established and emerging principles of safety and improvement science to mitigate risk of harm to patients and providers and optimize individual performance and system effectiveness. (Domain 5)
- Lead interprofessional teams to address complex needs of the individual, families, community and population through respectful and effective communication and shared decision making. (Domain 6)
- Analyze complex systems impacting the healthcare industry to generate strategic innovations that enhance value, access to care and cost-effectiveness. (Domain 7)
- Leverage information and communication technologies and informatics processes in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards, to analyze and compare quality metrics, impact clinical decision making, and develop knowledge to improve healthcare delivery. (Domain 8)
- Advance core values that promote professionalism, ethical standards, accountability, integrity, empathy, civility, and a spirit of mentorship into one’s advanced nursing specialty practice/role. (Domain 9)
- Advocate for reflective practices that advance the health and well-being of self and colleagues through engagement in initiatives that support personal health, resilience, life-long learning, and leadership development. (Domain 10)
Curriculum
Our innovative curriculum provides students the opportunity to develop clinical practice skills in one of the most prominent healthcare systems in the country. The coursework below is listed by year and semester; Students who entered as of fall 2023 should review the Plan of Study for the Class of 2026. Students who entered as of fall 2025 should review the Plan of Study for the Class of 2028.
Plans of Study
Year 1
| Fall Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 718.7 Introduction to DNP Studies and the Scholarly Project | 1 |
| NU 560.7 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics | 3 |
| NU 603.7 Research for Advanced Practice Nursing I | 3 |
| NU 713.7 Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Trends and Opportunities (3) | 3 |
| NU 724.7 Chemistry and Physics Related to Anesthesia | 2 |
| NU 673.7 Comprehensive Assessment for Clinical Decision-Making | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 570.7 Pathophysiology of Human Disease/Pathologic Aspects of Disease | 3 |
| NU 700.7 Pharmacokinetics and Dynamics of Anesthesia Agents | 3 |
| NU 748.7 Basic Principles of Anesthesia | 3 |
| NU 750. 7 Orientation to Clinical Practice | NC |
| NU 605.7 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
| Summer Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 751.7 Clinical Practice I | 3 |
| NU 758.7 Advanced Principles of Anesthesia | 3 |
| NU 775.7 Pathologic Aspects of Disease II | 3 |
| NU 715.7 Leading Strategic Change in an Era of Healthcare Transformation | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
Year 2
| Fall Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 704.7 Philosophy, Foundations, and Methods for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NU 714.7 Healthcare Systems Safety, Quality, and Improvement Science | 3 |
| NU 752.7 Clinical Practice II | 3 |
| NU 768.7 Advanced Principles of Anesthesia II | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
| Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 702.7 Practice Inquiry: Designs, Methods, and Analyses | 3 |
| NU 753.7 Clinical Practice III | 3 |
| NU 716.7 Perspectives in Community Engagement and Population Health | 3 |
| Total | 9 |
| Summer Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 717.7 Health and Social Policy | 3 |
| NU 754.7 Clinical Practice IV | 3 |
| Total | 6 |
Year 3
| Fall Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 755.7 Clinical Practice V | 3 |
| NU 778.7 Crisis Management and Clinical Correlation in Anesthesia | 3 |
| NU 719.7 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar I | 4 |
| Total | 10 |
| Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 756.7 Clinical Practice VI | 3 |
| NU 720.7 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar II | 3 |
| Total | 6 |
| Summer Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 757.7 Clinical Practice VII | 3 |
| Total | 3 |
Year 1
| Fall Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 718.7 Introduction to DNP Studies and the Scholarly Project | 1 |
| NU 560.7 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics | 3 |
| NU 603.7 Research for Advanced Practice Nursing I | 3 |
| NU 717.7 Health and Social Policy | 3 |
| NU 724.7 Chemistry and Physics Related to Anesthesia | 2 |
| NU 673.7 Comprehensive Assessment for Clinical Decision-Making | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 570.7 Pathophysiology of Human Disease/Pathologic Aspects of Disease | 3 |
| NU 700.7 Pharmacokinetics and Dynamics of Anesthesia Agents | 3 |
| NU 748.7 Basic Principles of Anesthesia | 3 |
| NU 750. 7 Orientation to Clinical Practice | NC |
| NU 605.7 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
| Summer Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 751.7 Clinical Practice I | 3 |
| NU 758.7 Advanced Principles of Anesthesia | 3 |
| NU 775.7 Pathologic Aspects of Disease II | 3 |
| NU 715.7 Leading Strategic Change in an Era of Healthcare Transformation | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
Year 2
| Fall Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 704.7 Philosophy, Foundations, and Methods for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NU 714.7 Healthcare Systems Safety, Quality, and Improvement Science | 3 |
| NU 752.7 Clinical Practice II | 3 |
| NU 768.7 Advanced Principles of Anesthesia II | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
| Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 702.7 Practice Inquiry: Designs, Methods, and Analyses | 3 |
| NU 753.7 Clinical Practice III | 3 |
| NU 716.7 Perspectives in Community Engagement and Population Health | 3 |
| Total | 9 |
| Summer Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 713.7 Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Trends and Opportunities | 3 |
| NU 754.7 Clinical Practice IV | 3 |
| Total | 6 |
Year 3
| Fall Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 755.7 Clinical Practice V | 3 |
| NU 778.7 Crisis Management and Clinical Correlation in Anesthesia | 3 |
| NU 719.7 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar I | 4 |
| Total | 10 |
| Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 756.7 Clinical Practice VI | 3 |
| NU 720.7 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar II | 3 |
| Total | 6 |
| Summer Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| NU 757.7 Clinical Practice VII | 3 |
| Total | 3 |
Total Program Credits: 85
DNP Nurse Anesthesia Accreditation
- Accredited by:
Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
10275 W. Higgens Road, Suite 906, Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
224-275-9130
www.coacrna.org - Accreditation status: Continued Accreditation 2029
- Specific academic program covered by the accreditation status:
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (Entry Level)
Tuition & Fees
| Tuition 2025-2026 | General Fee | IT Fee* | Library Fee* | Dept. Fee* |
| $54,244 | $0 | $638 | $459 | $1,054 |
Note: Other out-of-pocket student expenses will apply.
Program Performance Data
|
Graduate Year |
Cohort |
Employment Rate |
NCE First-Time |
NCE Second-Time |
Overall NCE Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3.9% | 96% | 56% | 83% | 100% |
| 2020 | 12% | 96% | 70% | 82% | 100% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | 96% | 72% | 96% | 100% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | 100% | 88% | 96% | 100% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | 100% | 83.3% | 91.7% | 100% |
| 2024 | 7.7% | 100% | 91.7% | 95.7% | 100% |
CAMPUS/LOCATION
Center City Campus
In the heart of Philadelphia, our Thomas Jefferson University — Center City Campus is home to the Colleges of Health Professions, Nursing, Pharmacy, Population Health, Life Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences and Sidney Kimmel Medical College. This campus is where doctors, nurses, therapists, teachers, researchers, students, leaders and healers work together every day to improve lives.
Montgomery County Location*
As the College of Nursing's offerings grow, our Montgomery County location will be located within Jefferson’s Nicholas & Athena Karabots Medical Building:
1330 Powell Street, Suite 608
Norristown, PA 19401
This future-focused academic space houses a 40’x 30’ main classroom with state-of-the-art teaching facilities including classroom, faculty and administrative offices as well as a simulation center.
