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) in Nurse Anesthesia at Fairfield University’s Austin campus. They are the first Austin-based cohort for the nationally ranked program.

The cohort convened for the first time after a competitive application process that included onsite panel interviews. The admission committed received more than 120 applications for only 15 available spots 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,” she said. “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 DNP Nurse Anesthesia concentration at Fairfield is ranked #29 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

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.

“Our nurse anesthesia residents will greatly benefit from the amazing clinical partnerships we have secured,” said Dr. Belmont. “Each site has been selected because of the unique opportunities they offer, ensuring a well-rounded clinical experience that will prepare our nurse anesthesia residents to be competent and well-trained full-service providers upon graduation.”

The program expansion was approved earlier this year by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. It is the only accredited DNP Nurse Anesthesia concentration in Central Texas.

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.

Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.