Admission Requirements

The Albany Medical College Center for Nurse Anesthesiology (CNA) Admission Requirements are as follows:

• Graduate of an accredited nursing program.
• Baccalaureate degree in nursing or appropriate science degree, with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above. (Examples of an appropriate science degree include Chemistry, Biology and Physics). Those who have degrees in other areas will be considered based on their academic background and basic science achievement.
• Undergraduate Research Methods Course.****
• Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Course.
• Completion of the Graduate Records Examination (GRE); see their website at www.gre.org. AMC Institution Code: 2947/Department Code: 0610.
• Minimum of one year (two years preferred) recent (within five years preferred) experience as a registered professional nurse in a critical care area in which the applicant on a daily basis has had the opportunity to develop critical decision making and psychomotor skills, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques (such as a Swan-ganz; CVP; arterial; intra-aortic monitors).**
• Critical Care Competency Certificate (or equivalent).***
• CCRN Examination (or equivalent) preferred.
• Verification of initial licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in the U.S.
• Verification of current licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in the U.S.
• Verification of current Basic Life Support certification.
• Verification of current Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification.
• Verification of current Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification.
• Three references: one from current immediate supervisor; one from a faculty member; one from an appropriate individual (to be forwarded directly to the CNA Office); form located on web site (see application and required forms).
• Official undergraduate transcript(s) to be forwarded directly to the CNA Office.
• CNA Professional Credentialing form (see application and required forms).
• 500-word statement as part of the online application.
• Completed online application.
• An application fee of $100.00. 
• Personal interview.

All fees are subject to change without prior notice.

Upon acceptance to the Albany Medical College Center for Nurse Anesthesiology, the following will be required prior to the start of the nurse anesthesiology program

• A non-refundable matriculation fee of of $500 is required with enrollment contract.
• Verification of initial licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in the State of New York.
• Verification of current New York State Registration Certification as a Registered Professional Nurse.
• Verification of current New York State Infection Control and Barrier Precautions Certificate.
• Verification of current licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in the State of Massachusetts.

*Requirements are subject to change in accordance with the criteria set forth by the  Council on Accreditation  of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs and the Albany Medical College.

**A critical care area is defined as one where, on a daily basis, the registered professional nurse manages invasive hemodynamic monitors (such as Swan-Ganz; CVP; arterial; intra-aortic monitors), ventilators and vasoactive drips (such as levophed; epinephrine; dobutamine; cardene; nitroglycerine).  The critical care areas, in order of preference, include the following: Surgical Intensive Care, Post-Open Heart, Coronary Care, Medical Intensive Care, Post-Anesthesia, and Pediatric or Neonatal Intensive Care. Those who have experiences in other areas will be considered provided they can demonstrate familiarity with invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.

***Critical Care Competency Certificate, or equivalent, reviews essential critical care skills required of every nurse who manages high acuity patients.  The courses may be completed online or in a traditional classroom format.  Certificate of completion is required.

****Research methods are defined as follows: The purpose of research methods is to demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of research.  Research is the application of the scientific method to solving real world problems.  Specifically, research methods provide models for the appropriate collection organization, and analysis of unbiased data for decision making, replication, and to contribute to the knowledge base.  Students should be  able to understand the research reports that are read and be able to analyze and critique them accordingly.  A research course should cover the entire research process including:  formulating research questions; sampling (probability and nonprobability); measurement (surveys, scaling, qualitative, unobtrusive); research design (experimental and quasi-experimental); data analysis; and writing the research paper.  It should also include the major theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of research including: the idea of validity in research; reliability of measures; and ethics.