Degree Type

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) — Nurse Anesthesia

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia program offered by Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia (KPSA) in partnership with California State University, Fullerton prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) through a comprehensive, evidence-based, and clinically immersive 24-month curriculum. The program focuses on advanced clinical practice, leadership, and scholarly inquiry, equipping graduates to deliver safe and compassionate anesthesia care in diverse patient populations and clinical settings across California and beyond.

Program Length

• 24 months (full-time)

Credit Hours

• 71 units

Starting Month

September

Application Deadline

Applications open November 1 and must be completed online by November 30.

Program Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nursing from an accredited institution.
• Licensure: Current, unrestricted California RN license (must remain valid throughout the program).
• Experience: Minimum of one year of current full-time adult critical care ICU nursing experience.
  • Acceptable: Adult ICU experience.
  • Not accepted: Emergency Room, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Step-Down Unit, or Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
• Academic Performance: Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale in the BSN or MSN program.
• Certifications:
  • Basic Life Support (BLS)
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Prerequisite Coursework:
  • Upper-division (junior or senior level) statistics course completed in the United States with a grade of “C” or better.
  • Lower-division or international statistics courses may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by Cal State University Fullerton.

Program Overview

The KPSA–CSUF DNP Nurse Anesthesia program integrates academic rigor with hands-on clinical practice. Students engage in immersive simulation training, interdisciplinary learning, and extensive clinical rotations across Kaiser Permanente medical centers and affiliated hospitals throughout California. The program emphasizes critical thinking, leadership, and the application of evidence-based practice in anesthesia delivery. Graduates are prepared to meet the complex demands of modern anesthesia care and are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCRNA upon program completion.

Contact

Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia
100 S. Los Robles, Suite 501
Pasadena, CA 91188

Phone: (626) 564-3016
Fax: (626) 564-3099
Email: john.j.nagelhout@kp.org
Web: www.kpsan.org