Pre-Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Specialization

Pre-Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Specialization

Overview

The Pre-CRNA program at WTAMU is designed for students aiming to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), specialized healthcare professionals who provide anesthesia services in various medical settings. To pursue this career, students must first follow the pre-nursing path, earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and pass the NCLEX exam to become a licensed Registered Nurse (RN). Afterward, they must complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with a CRNA specialization and pass a national certification exam. Upon successful completion, the Texas Board of Nursing grants APRN licensure as a CRNA. Since CRNA program requirements can vary, students should consult with pre-nursing advisers for guidance on specific program prerequisites. For more information about the BSN and MSN programs, visit the Department of Nursing or Pre-Professional Specializations websites.

Education

To begin your journey toward becoming a CRNA in Texas, you must first graduate from an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Then, you must gain relevant bedside experience as a registered nurse (RN).

After meeting the experience requirements for graduate school admission, you may apply to your Texas CRNA program of interest. Remember that the Texas Board of Nursing must approve the program you select as you will need to attend an accredited CRNA program.

Certification

After graduating from an accredited CRNA program, you must pass a national certification exam.

Licensure

Once certified, you will apply for an APRN license as a Nurse Anesthetist on the Texas Board of Nursing website.

The Texas State Board of Nursing requires the following to apply for licensure: 

• Application fee for licensure with or without prescriptive authority
• Active unencumbered Texas RN license or an RN license from a Compact State 
• Completion of an accredited CRNA program
• National certification
• Completion of a minimum practice hours within the last 24 calendar months or completion of a CRNA program within the last 24 calendar months
• Completion of a minimum of contact hours of continuing nursing education within the last 24 calendar months or completion of a CRNA program in the last 24 calendar months.

Advising

1. Pre-Nursing—(Major Code: 700)

A basic or transfer student who is not admitted to the WTAMU BSN program is considered to be a Pre-Nursing major.

2. Major in Nursing—Basic and Transfer Students (Major Code: 701)

When a student applies and is admitted to the WTAMU BSN program and begins Junior I nursing courses, the major code is changed to Code 701, unless the student is a registered LVN, in which case the major code is changed to 713 (see below).

• Transfer Nursing Students (who were previously enrolled in an ADN or BSN Program) must:
  • Be in good academic standing and eligible for readmission at the last nursing program attended.
  • Provide documentation from the dean or appropriate department head of the last nursing program attended that states readmission eligibility and academic standing.
  • Submit copies of official transcripts from each institution attended to the School of Nursing.
• Senior or Community College
  • Students transferring from a senior college or community college nursing program into the basic nursing program must submit copies of nursing course syllabi. If the transferring courses are less than five years old, courses will be evaluated for transfer on an individual basis. If courses are more than five years old, see "Returning Basic WTAMU Students and Transferring Basic Students" in this section.
• Returning Basic WTAMU Students and Transferring Basic Students
  • Any basic/traditional student, WTAMU or transferring, who has not been enrolled in clinical nursing courses in the past five years, must demonstrate competency by examination prior to being rescheduled into the nursing curriculum. A course-specific exam, which will be a standardized test, will be given. The exam may be taken one time. A fee is charged for each exam. If the student is unsuccessful, the student will be scheduled into that/those clinical course(s) as space is available. For further information, refer to "Advanced Placement and Credit by Examination" in your catalog.

3. Major in Nursing—LVN to Pre-licensure RN (Major Code: 713)

For students who are licensed vocational nurses. WTAMU School of Nursing does not currently offer an online LVN to BSN program. LVN prepared students to pursue traditional Pre-Licensure BSN program offered at WTAMU which is offered on campus only. 

Texas Schools Offering CRNA Programs

• Texas Wesleyan University
• Texas Christian University
• University of Texas Houston Health Science Center
• Balor College of Medicine