The Minneapolis School of Anesthesia offers a twenty-seven month program in nurse anesthesia. It is owned and operated by seven members: Hennepin County Medical Center, University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview, North Memorial Medical Center, Fairview Southdale Hospital, Methodist Hospital, in Minneapolis; and United Hospitals and HealthEast in St. Paul. HealthEast hospitals, used by the School, include Woodwinds, St. John's, and St. Joseph's. Clinical experience is provided in the member hospitals on a rotating basis. Each student will rotate to five of the nine facilities during the program. Students also receive experience in a same day surgery facility and in a rural hospital.

The Master of Science Program is a cooperative arrangement between the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Graduates are prepared to practice in a wide variety of settings and to utilize diverse methods of administering a safe anesthetic.

The graduates of our program have been very successful. In the last five years, 97.3% of students who started the program graduated, and 99.4% of those graduates passed the Certification Examination on their first attempt. All of our graduates have been able to find good jobs in anesthesia.

ACCREDITATION

The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
222 South Prospect Avenue
Park Ridge, IL 60068-4010
847-692-7050

North Central Association and The Higher Learning Commission
30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60602-2504
312-263-0456

PHILOSOPHY

The education provided at this School prepares the graduate to function competently, while recognizing their own limitations and other medical, legal, and ethical considerations. We view anesthesia as a specialty role in nursing. Professional competence in anesthesia, as in nursing, is a function of various factors. The nurse anesthetist must possess self-awareness that allows knowledge of one's own strengths and weaknesses in both professional and personal areas. One must be guided by a value system that requires adherence to safe principles of practice. One must possess the ability to systematically analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.

All aspects of professional competence must be fostered by complementary forces within the educational program and institutions. This includes the program design and implementation, curriculum content, institutions, learning resources, teaching role models, and educational administration. Excellence in teaching is emphasized in all aspects of the School. The curriculum is structured so as to meet accreditation requirements and to provide the learner the opportunity to become competent in the field.

We believe that education is a life-long process characterized by teacher-directed and self-directed activities. Education in this program is best accomplished in an atmosphere of inquiry, stimulated by both teacher and learner.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Minneapolis School of Anesthesia is dedicated to maintaining a program that provides high quality anesthesia education to competent registered nurses. By means of a cooperative agreement with Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, students who complete the program are awarded a Master of Science Degree in Nurse Anesthesia.