Nurse Anesthesiology

College of Health Sciences Launches New Nurse Anesthesiology Program

MBU’s new doctor of nurse anesthesiology program is off to a great start: Its accreditation was confirmed on June 21, and a full cohort of 25 students started classes in August.

“This is a milestone achievement for both the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, and healthcare in this region,” said associate professor and founding program director Dr. Johanna Newman.

Newman is a doctor of nursing anesthesiology practice (DNAP), has worked in a variety of hospital settings — most recently, UVA Health — sat on boards at the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists and American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, and served as assistant director for Florida Gulf Coast University’s renowned DNAP program. She’s spent the past year or so working with colleagues at MBU to prepare to launch under the umbrella of MBU’s new doctor of nursing practice program.

“It’s been a demanding process, to say the least,” said Newman with a laugh. She recruited and hired two full-time professors, designed curriculum, applied for certifications, secured partnerships with numerous Mid-Atlantic hospitals, and more. “It’s taken a ton of hard work, and we’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”

The new program is one of just three in Virginia, and about 120 in the nation. Newman looked to parlay her acclaim in the field and Murphy Deming’s shooting star reputation to generate national buzz. And it worked: She received more than 100 applications from throughout the United States.

“These students are extremely serious about their profession, and when they look at what we’re offering, it’s impressive by any objective standard,” Newman said.

On one hand, students will study in an intensely hands-on environment with highly celebrated faculty like herself and Dr. Jennifer McPherson — a retired Navy commander who, among other accolades, served as chief nurse anesthetist at Fauquier Hospital and directed the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Nursing in San Diego.

Mary Baldwin’s location and professional partnerships also helped seal the deal.

“There’s currently a major shortage of nurse anesthetists in the U.S.,” said Newman. The RAND Corporation estimates total staffing shortfalls at more than 5,000, with impacts being almost exclusively isolated to rural communities. For instance, residents in much of southwest Virginia often have to drive four to five hours for routine surgeries because area healthcare providers can’t secure anesthesiologists.

This means students in the new program are in high demand. Accordingly, Newman has developed strategic partnerships with hard-hit hospital systems in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina that will provide premium medical experience and a pipeline for great jobs (average pay for CNAs is about $200,000 a year nationally).

“We’re going to be plugging these students into communities where nurse aenesthetists handle about 80 percent of primary care, which means they’ll gain experience working as autonomous providers,” said Newman. Most will field job offers prior to completing their degree. “This kind of opportunity is as hard to come by as it is attractive.”

Newman plans to grow the program’s annual cohort to about 35 and hire another two professors within the next few years. She hopes early successes will make that easy — and win the new MBU program bragging rights as the nation’s best.