DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program

Nursing students participate in the 2025 Lab Simulation Blitz on the Biltmore campus location.

DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program

Virtual Open House - Tuesday, May 5, 2026: 5-6:30 p.m.

Join us at one of our upcoming virtual Graduate School Open House events on Zoom! You'll have the opportunity to learn more about 蘑菇短视频, understand the Graduate School application process, and meet key program representatives.

Program Mission

The Nurse Anesthesia Program's mission is to create an academic center of teaching and learning excellence for the advancement of nurse anesthesia practice. The program seeks to promote clinical scholarship and life-long learning and aims to support skilled and ethical service to our communities. Through nurse anesthesia research, education, and practice, students and faculty will seek to enhance the quality of life for people of all cultures, economic levels and geographic locations.

Application deadline

The deadline for the cohort starting in Summer 2027 is August 1, 2026. The application will open on March 1, 2026. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for October and will be officially announced closer to the application deadline.

Location & modality

Asheville, North Carolina
Biltmore Park Campus - In Person

Curriculum

Curriculum & Required Courses

Time Length/ Commitment

Full Time, 36 Months, 86 Credit Hours

Reasons to Choose WCU鈥檚 Nurse Anesthesia Program

Open door policy with faculty
Extensive regional anesthesia experience
Total anesthetic cases average in excess of 900
State of the art high fidelity simulation lab with METI Human Patient Simulators
Diverse clinical experience with no competition from other anesthesia learners

Small cohort, 18-24 students per class
Program faculty with extensive scholarship
100% overall pass rate for national certification exam
Unique learning experiences at three clinical sites where CRNAs are sole anesthesia providers
Selective opportunities for international service trips

Take the Next Step Toward Your Future

Admissions Requirements Curriculum Tuition & Fees

Clinical Anesthesia Experience:

Program Director and Core Faculty

Taya Kretz-Notelle, DNAP, MSA, CRNA

Assistant Professor, Program Director

tkretznotelle@wcu.edu

Brett Morgan, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN

Distinguished Scholar, Associate Professor, Associate Program Director

morganb@wcu.edu

Annie Meyers, DNP, CRNA

Assistant Professor, Simulation Lab Coordinator

ameyers@wcu.edu

Shawna Mills, PhD, CRNA

Assistant Professor

sgreiner@wcu.edu

Incoming Class Profile (Class of 2029)

Average pre-admission overall GPA (undergraduate): 3.61
Program Length: 36 Months

Attrition Rate (Class of 2025)

2025 -- 0.00%

Certification Exam Pass Rate (Class of 2025)

First-time test takers (2025): 89%
- National average (2022): 83.4%
Overall Pass Rate (2025): 100%
Overall pass rate (2009 - 2025): 100%

Employment Rate (Class of 2025)

Employed within six months of graduation (2025): 100%
Overall employment rate within six months of graduation (2009 - 2025): 100%

Accreditation

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA).

The Council on Accreditation is a specialized accrediting body recognized by both the United States Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

In October 2022, the DNP Program received full accreditation through 2032 (10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906 Rosemont, IL 60068, 224.275.9130).

蘑菇短视频

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