New Mexico

What should I know about choosing a nurse anesthetist program? An essential criteria in selecting a graduate educational program is the program accreditation. A certified nurse anesthetist program (CRNA) must be accredited by the AANA's Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.

Only those students who graduate from an accredited program are eligible to take the national certification exam for nurse anesthetists. Along with accreditation, you should also find out if the graduate program is in good standing or has been placed on probation status. Admission in a nurse anesthetist graduate program is very competitive. Colleges and universities offering certified nurse anesthetist programs accept a limited number of students each year and keep a very small class size of ten to fifteen individuals.

Because colleges have very high admission standards and a limited number of seats available for anesthetist programs, prospective students are encouraged to apply to at least three different schools.