Fairfield, Conn. (August 7, 2024)— Fifteen new graduate students in the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies began the rigorous journey toward a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in Nurse Anesthesia at Fairfield University in Austin. The program expansion was approved earlier this year by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs and is the only accredited DNP Nurse Anesthesia concentration in Central Texas.

Current anesthesia workforce shortages pose a significant threat to healthcare delivery in Texas. Unmet demand for anesthesia services at hospitals and outpatient surgical centers causes delays and cancelations in procedures that require sedation and general anesthesia.

The growing demand for such procedures is driven by a growing elderly population. Fairfield brought its Nurse Anesthesia program to Austin to help ease shortages of
anesthesia services across the region. The program addresses the growing need for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) within the state. According to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies, demand for CRNAs is projected to grow by 30.9% by
2032.

The DNP Nurse Anesthesia concentration at Fairfield is ranked #29 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

Assistant Program Director Leigh Taylor, DNP, MS, CRNA, APRN, who co-authored the University’s expansion proposal, said, “The expansion in Austin not only addresses the national CRNA shortage but also aligns with Fairfield University’s Jesuit mission of serving
others through education and healthcare, exemplifying our commitment to compassionate care and social responsibility.”

The Nurse Anesthesia program is Fairfield’s most competitive academic program. Despite being a newcomer to Austin, the University received more than 120 applications for only 15 available spots in the program at the Austin campus.

“The program has attracted the highest caliber of critical care nurses who are ready to advance their careers,” said Program Director Steven Belmont, DNP, CRNA, APRN. “All of our nurse anesthesia residents joining the Class of 2027 have their own unique story and path that led them here. They also share strong academic backgrounds, critical thinking skills, and a desire to provide high-quality care to their patients.”

The talented cohort of nurse anesthesia residents in Austin boasts an impressive average undergraduate GPA of 3.7 and nearly three-and-a-half years of ICU experience.

Assistant Program Director Carrie Cromwell, DNP, MS, CRNA, APRN, was eager to welcome members of the cohort. “It is exciting to have them on campus. I am confident that our current class of high-caliber nurse anesthesia residents will achieve success as they complete their graduate-level education.”

The Austin program is a geographical expansion of the school’s program in Fairfield, Conn., which is known for its robust academic and clinical components. The curriculum includes a mixture of didactic, simulation, and clinical learning. Students will have a minimum of 2000
clinical hours and 650 cases at graduation.

The Egan School has partnered with Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, St. David’s HealthCare, and U.S. Anesthesia Partners (USAP) Central Texas in Ascension Hospitals to ensure its residents receive the highest quality clinical experience in and around Austin.
The first cohort of nurse anesthesia residents in Austin joined three cohorts of second-degree nursing students at Fairfield’s campus on Shoal Creek Boulevard. The facility features a 21-bed clinical learning laboratory and eight simulation rooms, including a state-of-the-art operating room, for creating fully immersive learning scenarios.

Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools.  In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.