The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing recently received notice that its Nurse Anesthesia Program was awarded continued accreditation for a 10-year term through the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA).
The COA is the only organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education to accredit the 154 nurse anesthesia educational programs located in the United States.
Representatives from the COA conducted a site visit in April to evaluate the program’s adherence to a rigorous set of standards and policies designed to ensure that students are well-prepared for clinical practice when they graduate. The program also had to complete a self-evaluation to assess the quality of its educational offerings and student outcomes.
The decade-long term is the maximum awarded by the accrediting body.
“An achievement like this is only possible because of the hard work of our staff and faculty in the Nurse Anesthesia Program,” said Sarah Rhoads, Ph.D., DNP, dean of the UAMS College of Nursing. “I appreciate them all for the support they provide to our students from orientation through graduation.”
This marks the first time the Nurse Anesthesia Program has received its continued accreditation, which is awarded to established programs that have demonstrated a record of achievement and stability. The UAMS program welcomed its first students in 2020 after receiving an initial five-year accreditation — the maximum awarded for new programs.
The three-year, full-time program, a specialty in the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, prepares students to provide high-quality, cost-effective anesthesia care to patients of all ages in a variety of clinical settings. Graduates gain eligibility to take their national certification examination to become certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). The Nurse Anesthesia Program has graduated 52 students since its inception.
The COA announcement came weeks after the College of Nursing received accreditation renewals for four other programs through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
A team of evaluators visited the UAMS main campus to assess the college’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Nursing Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree programs as well as the postgraduate advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) certificate program. At its September meeting, the organization’s Board of Commissioners granted reaccreditation to each of the UAMS programs for the maximum term of 10 years.