Degree Type

Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)

The DNAP program at Texas Wesleyan University prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) capable of delivering safe, evidence-based anesthesia care across diverse clinical environments. This 28-month, full-time program emphasizes advanced clinical judgment, leadership, and scholarly inquiry while providing hands-on training in anesthesia practice, physiology, pharmacology, and patient safety.

Program Length

• 28 months (full-time)

Credit Hours

• 65 credit hours

Start Date

June

Application Deadline

Applications open January 1 of the year preceding admission. The deadline for submission is November 1 of the year prior to the planned enrollment.

Program Requirements

• Education: Baccalaureate degree from a fully accredited college or university.
• Licensure: Current, unrestricted RN license in one of the fifty states. License must be free from probation, suspension, or stipulations.
• Experience: Minimum of one full year of current, full-time intensive care nursing experience within three years of admission (must be completed by February 1 of the admission year). Two or more years of critical care experience are strongly recommended.
  • Acceptable critical care experience: Adult ICU or Pediatric ICU (obtained in a U.S. hospital or U.S. military facility).
  • Not accepted: Emergency Room (ER), Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), or Cardiac Catheterization Lab (Cath-Lab).
• Academic Performance:
  • Minimum science GPA of 2.5 required for admission consideration.
  • Applicants must meet two or more of the following four academic criteria:
  • GRE: Combined verbal and quantitative score of 1000 or higher (pre-August 2011) or 297 or higher (post-August 2011), with an analytical writing score of 3.5 or higher preferred.
  • GPA: Overall GPA of 3.0 or greater, GPA of 3.0 or higher for the last 60 credit hours, or GPA of 3.0 or greater for all science coursework.
  • Certifications: ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) required. CCRN certification encouraged for first-time applicants and required for reapplication.
  • Completion of a college-level Chemistry course within three years of admission.

Program Overview

The Texas Wesleyan DNAP curriculum integrates advanced coursework with clinical training to develop anesthesia professionals skilled in both practice and leadership. Students learn to manage anesthesia for a range of surgical and medical procedures, including general, regional, and specialty cases. Emphasis is placed on clinical decision-making, physiology, pharmacology, and patient-centered care. Graduates are prepared to assume leadership roles and are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCRNA.

Contact

Texas Wesleyan University — School of Health Professions
1201 Wesleyan Street
Fort Worth, TX 76105

Phone: (817) 531-5854
Fax: (817) 531-6508
Email: ejgraham@txwes.edu
Web: www.txwes.edu