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10 Great Things About KU's Nurse Anesthesia Program

Nurse anesthesia students at the University of Kansas learn from expert mentors at a leading academic medical center.

1. Academic Medical Center

Our nurse anesthesia program is based at the Kansas City, KS campus of KU Medical Center. The medical center has a long-standing reputation for teaching compassionate and state-of-the-art patient care in an academic medical center environment. Students gain most of their clinical experience at the main hospital of The University of Kansas Health System, which is a leader in specialty areas including ear, nose and throat; pulmonology; cardiology and heart surgery; nephrology; gastroenterology and GI surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; geriatrics; neurology and neurosurgery; gynecology; orthopedics; urology; and cancer.

2. Reasonable Costs

Total tuition and fees for the nurse anesthesia program at the University of Kansas are very competitive when compared to similar programs in the U.S. and offer excellent value for the cost.

3. Assessible Location

Centrally located in the Midwest of the United States, Kansas City is easily accessible and boasts a reasonable cost of living and a wide range of excellent educational and cultural opportunities.

4. Wealth of Cases

With 19,000+ cases per year, The University of Kansas Hospital offers access to a wealth of cases including experience in specialty areas such as MRI, radiation oncology, invasive radiological procedures, GI endoscopy, cardioversions and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Exposure to a large number of challenging and diverse cases prepares students for an easier transition into the workplace.

5. Unmatched Clinical Experiences

Training at The University of Kansas Hospital gives our students access to a nationally accredited Level I trauma center that serves the Kansas City metropolitan area and the only adult and pediatric burn center in the Kansas City metro area accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association.

6. Experienced Faculty

The program features ten full-time CRNA faculty with extraordinary levels of experience as nurse anesthetists, serve as advisors, teach classes, and supervise students in the clinical setting. More than 80 physician faculty members from KU School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology provide advanced clinical instruction. More than 40 adjunct faculty at affiliate sites provide additional, invaluable clinical instruction.

7. Expert Mentors

The specialty areas in which KU anesthesiologists have completed fellowships is diverse and impressive. Here are a handful of the physician faculty members our students train with, and the specialty areas in which they completed fellowships: Peter Hild, MD, in cardiothoracic anesthesia; Ronald Torline, MD, in cardiac and pediatric anesthesiology; Martin DeRuyter, MD, in critical care medicine; Talal Khan, MD, in pain medicine; Grace Shih, MD, in obstetric anesthesia; and Christopher Beck, MD, in cardiac anesthesiology. Anthony Kovac, MD, is known for his research in difficult airway management and anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy.

8. Simulation

The program uses a state-of-the-art virtual hospital with a high-definition, full-body simulator as well as other manikins. Students experience a high first-time pass rate on the national certifying exam. View 5-year outcome measures (PDF).

9. Latest Technology

Students train in settings employing the latest advances in technology. These include various robotic surgeries, trans intra-hepatic portal shunts (TIPS) and endovascular AAA repairs in radiology, subthalamic nuclear stimulators for patients with Parkinson's disease, radiofrequency ablation for kidney tumors, patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure and cerebral aneurysm coiling.

10. Loyal and Accomplished Alumni

Our program's roots date back more than 50 years, and in that time we have prepared over 700 graduates to practice nurse anesthesia. Our alumni community stretches across Kansas and beyond, and we never miss an opportunity to reconnect (via Zoom, when necessary) and celebrate the accomplishments of our students, faculty and graduates.

KU School of Health Professions

University of Kansas Medical Center
Nurse Anesthesia Education
Mailstop 2020
3901 Rainbow Blvd
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-6612 • 711 TTY