Table 2.
Graduate Standards for the University of Pittsburgh Nurse Anesthesia BSN to DNP Program
| Patient safety - the graduate must demonstrate the ability to: | |
| 1. | Be vigilant in the delivery of patient care |
| 2. | Refrain from engaging in extraneous activities that abandon or minimize vigilance while providing direct patient care |
| 3. | Conduct a comprehensive equipment check |
| 4. | Protect patients from iatrogenic complications |
| Perianesthesia - the graduate must demonstrate the ability to: | |
| 1. | Provide individualized care throughout the perianesthesia continuum |
| 2. | Deliver culturally competent perianesthesia care |
| 3. | Provide anesthesia service to all patients across the lifespan |
| 4. | Perform a comprehensive history and physical assessment |
| 5. | Administer general anesthesia to patients with a variety of physical conditions |
| 6. | Administer general anesthesia for a variety of surgical and medically-related procedures |
| 7. | Administer and manage a variety of regional anesthetics |
| 8. | Maintain current certification in ACLS and PALS |
| Critical thinking - the graduate must demonstrate the ability to: | |
| 1. | Apply knowledge to practice in decision making and problem solving |
| 2. | Provide nurse anesthesia services based on evidence-based principles |
| 3. | Perform a preanesthetic assessment before providing anesthesia services |
| 4. | Assume responsibility and accountability for diagnosis |
| 5. | Formulate an anesthesia plan of care before providing anesthesia services |
| 6. | Identify and take appropriate action when confronted with anesthetic equipment-related malfunctions |
| 7. | Interpret and utilize data obtained from noninvasive and invasive monitoring modalities |
| 8. | Calculate, initiate, and manage fluid and blood component therapy |
| 9. | Recognize, evaluate, and manage the physiological responses coincident to the provision of anesthesia services |
| 10. | Recognize and appropriately manage complications that occur during the provision of anesthesia services |
| 11. | Use science-based theories and concepts to analyze new practice approaches |
| 12. | Pass the national certification examination administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists |
| Communication - the graduate must demonstrate the ability to: | |
| 1. | Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients and their families |
| 2. | Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective interprofessional exchange of information and collaboration with other healthcare professionals |
| 3. | Respect the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of interprofessional care |
| 4. | Maintain comprehensive, timely, accurate, and legible healthcare records |
| 5. | Transfer the responsibility for care of patients to other qualified providers in a manner that assures continuity of care and patient safety |
| 6. | Teach others |
| Leadership - the graduate must demonstrate the ability to: | |
| 1. | Integrate critical and reflective thinking in his or her leadership approach |
| 2. | Provide leadership that facilitates intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration |
| Professional role - the graduate must demonstrate the ability to: | |
| 1. | Adhere to the code of ethics for the certified registered nurse anesthetist |
| 2. | Interact on a professional level with integrity |
| 3. | Apply ethically sound decision-making processes |
| 4. | Function within legal and regulatory requirements |
| 5. | Accept responsibility and accountability for his or her practice |
| 6. | Provide anesthesia services to patients in a cost-effective manner |
| 7. | Demonstrate knowledge of wellness and substance use disorder in the anesthesia profession through completion of content in wellness and substance use disorder |
| 8. | Inform the public of the role and practice of the CRNA |
| 9. | Evaluate how public policy-making strategies impact the financing and delivery of healthcare |
| 10. | Advocate for health policy change to improve patient care |
| 11. | Advocate for health policy change to advance the specialty of nurse anesthesia |
| 12. | Analyze strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of care |
| 13. | Analyze health outcomes in a variety of populations |
| 14. | Analyze health outcomes in a variety of clinical settings |
| 15. | Analyze health outcomes in a variety of systems |
| 16. | Disseminate research evidence |
| 17. | Use information system/technology to support and improve patient care |
| 18. | Use information system/technology to support and improve healthcare systems |
| 19. | Analyze business practices encountered in nurse anesthesia delivery settings |