Program Director & Acting Department Chair Lenore M. Litwin, CRNA, MSN BIO Phone: 847.578.3400 Assistant Chair Susan McMullan, CRNA, MSN Clinical Instructor/Coordinator Ali Tabatabai, CRNA, MSN
Clinical Instructor Jay Tumulak CRNA, MSN
Administrative Assistant Donna Klammer Phone: 847.578.8825 Department Fax: 847.775.6574 Email: donna.klammer@rosalindfranklin.edu Request Information or Print Application
General Information Degree Offered:
Program Attendance Options:
Program Length
Accreditation: University Accreditation
Nurse Anesthesia Program Accreditation
Nurse Anesthesia Nurse Anesthetists have been providing anesthesia care to patients in the United State for nearly 150 years. The credential CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) came into existence in 1956. CRNAs are anesthesia professionals who safely administer approximately 32 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) 2008 Practice Profile Survey. CRNAs are the primary anesthesia providers in rural America, enabling healthcare facilities in these medically underserved areas to offer obstetrical, surgical, and trauma stabilization services. In some states, CRNAs are the sole providers in nearly 100% of the rural hospitals. According to a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, anesthesia care is nearly 50 times safer than it was in the early 1980s. Numerous outcomes studies have demonstrated that there is no difference in the quality of care provided by CRNAs and their physician counterparts.* CRNAs provide anesthesia in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other qualified healthcare professionals. When anesthesia is administered by a nurse anesthetist, it is recognized as a practice of nursing, when administered by an anesthesiologist, it is recognized as the practice of medicine. Regardless of whether their educational background is in nursing or medicine, all anesthesia professionals give anesthesia the same way. As advanced practice nurses, CRNAs practice with a high degree of autonomy and professional respect. They carry a heavy load of responsibility and are compensated accordingly. CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered: traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; critical access hospitals; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, opthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and the U.S. military, Public Health Services and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities. Nurse Anesthetists have been the main providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military men and women on the front lines since WWI, including current conflicts in the Middle East. Nurse first provided anesthesia to wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Managed care plans recognize CRNAs for providing high-qualitiy care with reduced expense to patients are insurance companies. The cost-efficiency of CRNAs control escalating healthcare costs. Across the country, nurse anesthetist professional liability premiums are 33% lower than 20 years ago (or 62% lower when adjusted for inflation). Legislation passed by Congress in 1986 made nurse anesthetists the first nursing speciality to be accorded direct reimbursement rights under the Medicare Program. Approximately 41% of the nation's 44,000 nurse anesthetists (which included student nurse anesthetists) are men, compared with less than 10% in the nursing profession as a whole. More than 90% of the U.S. Nurse Anesthetists are members of the AANA.
*To receive a copy of Quality of Care in Anesthesia, please contact the AANA at 847-692-7050, or visit the website at www.aana.com/resources
About the Nurse Anesthesia Program Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) is a private institution that accepts in and out of state applicants. It is RFUMC policy to not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or age, in admissions or employment, or in any programs or activities. It is the University’s intent to comply with applicable statutes and regulations, including Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990; both prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities by mandating provision of reasonable accommodations to make programs and activities accessible to qualified disabled individuals. There are natural and legal limitations to what services can be provided. It is the goal of the University to assist students in developing their potentials in light of what is feasible and reasonable under the law. Inquiries may be directed to the Nurse Anesthesia program offices at: 847.578.8825.
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Mission Statement Together with its partners, the University will be recognized as an established academic health sciences center serving a diverse nation with excellence and innovation in education of health and biomedical professionals, knowledge creation and scientific discovery focused on prediction and prevention of disease, clinical programs and community service. College of Health Professions Mission Statement To prepare exceptional healthcare professionals for leadership and evidence-based practice with a collaborative deliver model through student-centered programs that offer cutting-edge curricula. College of Health Professions Vision Statement The College will be recognized as the premier center for health professions education through its outstanding graduates, curricular innovation, scholarly activity and community service. CHP directs its intellectual resources and expertise to improve the quality and quantity of health care and knowledge through education, health promotion, research, patient care and community service. Nurse Anesthesia Program Mission Statement The mission of the Nurse Anesthesia Program is to prepare and educate nurse anesthetists to provide high quality advanced practice nurse anesthesia care in a competent, compassionate and ethical manner. The department also promotes research and academic endeavors that contribute to the advancement of the knowledge and education of fellow health care professionals and community service. Nurse Anesthesia Program Vision Statement The Nurse Anesthesia Program will prepare and educate Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to provide safe, competent, compassionate, and culturally-appropriate anesthesia care. Graduates will be academic and practice setting leaders. Achievement of the Vision will be Achieved as Follows:
Types of Students Students will be graduate students who are registered professional nurses in the United States, its territories or protectorates. Admission Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Clinical Affiliations
Other clinical sites are currently under development