Raleigh School of Nurse Anesthesia FAQs

What does your school accept for "critical care experience"?
When do I apply and when are interviews?
I have a Bachelor's degree in an area other than nursing. Can I apply for admission to your school?
Can I go ahead and apply now before completing my BSN?
Do I need to take GRE exams or MAT for admission and what score would I need?
How many applications does your school receive and how many students are accepted into the school every year?
What are some ways that students finance their education?
Will I be allowed to work a nursing job while I am attending your school?
Is my deposit refundable?
When do students begin clinical rotations and how long to they last?
Can I do a clinical rotation located near my home?
Can I take university core courses before being accepted into your school?
Does your school have a patient simulator?
Do I need to have BLS, ACLS, and PALS current when applying?

What does your school accept for "critical care experience"?

Critical care experience needed for a successful applicant would be recent full time employment in a critical care unit such as CVICU, Neuro ICU, Surgical ICU or Medical ICU. Emergency Room, PACU, or Operating Room experience is not considered to be critical care experience. RNs working in these areas are not involved in the management and treatment of hemodynamic changes on a routine basis. Pediatric ICU and Neonatal ICU experience is accepted as long as the applicant also has experience in an adult critical care. In addition, the applicant should be able to calculate drug dosages and vasoactive drips without the use of an IV pump or hemodynamic monitor.

When do I apply and when are interviews?

RSNA applications are accepted April through October for the following Fall. Interviews dates are scheduled on Wednesdays in November and December. The Admissions Committee determines the number of applicant openings ahead of time. Interview openings are filled on a first completed, first assigned basis. Applications received before the deadline of October 31 are not guaranteed an interview. Upon your completion of application, the program director audits applications and grants interviews to those applicants meeting requirements.

If you are admitted to UNCG graduate school with academic provisions, RSNA will not grant an interview until all provisions are successfully lifted at UNCG.

I have a Bachelor's degree in an area other than nursing. Can I apply for admission to your school? No, you must have a BSN to apply to Raleigh School of Nurse Anesthesia.

Can I go ahead and apply now before completing my BSN?

A BSN must be completed before an interview is granted. If your BSN will be completed in early December, we might be able to grant you an interview in mid-December, if available, after the degree is complete and we obtain your final grades.

Do I need to take GRE exams or MAT for admission and what score would I need?

For admission to the graduate program in Nursing at UNCG, nurse anesthesia applicants need to provide either MAT or GRE scores, preferably taken within the past five years. A MAT score of 403 is considered to be an average score for nursing applicants. Scores on the GRE that reflect approximately the 50th percentile are 480 on the Verbal section; 620 on the Quantitative section, and a 4.5 on the Analytical Writing section. There are no specific cut-off scores for the program. Scores are considered along with all of the other admission criteria for an admission decision.

How many applications does your school receive and how many students are accepted into the school every year?

The program receives approximately 150 applications each year. Not all applicants complete the process. Not all applicants are granted admission to UNCG Graduate School. Some applicants are granted admission to Graduate School with Academic Provisions and therefore are not offered interviews. We usually interview about 75-90 candidates and admit between 30-40 students for entry every Fall in August.

What are some ways that students finance their education?

Although there are no student stipends available for this program, competitive student stipend options may be available through Critical Health Systems, Pitt County Anesthesia Associates, Craven Regional Hospital, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Hospital, and High Point Regional Hospital. Information and application for this assistance may be obtained by directly contacting each anesthesiology group or hospital. There is a myriad of financial assistance available from other sources. Financial assistance information may be obtained by contacting the Financial Aid Department at UNCG.(Link to webiste)

Will I be allowed to work a nursing job while I am attending your school?

The time committed to study, class and clinical practice may consume over 60 hours a week. RSNA encourages students to plan finances appropriately, before entering the program, so they will not have to work during program. Students enrolled at RSNA are discouraged from working as an RN. Enrolled students shall not work as a nurse anesthetist while in the program.

Is my deposit refundable?

No, deposits paid to RSNA are not refundable. The $750 deposit paid upon acceptance to the program is applied toward the first year residency fees.

When do students begin clinical rotations and how long to they last?

First year students start clinical rotations mid to late October the first semester. The clinical schedule will be prepared in 4-8 week blocks depending on the level of the student. First year students will have the first three rotations in eight week blocks.

Can I do a clinical rotation located near my home?

RSNA has numerous clinical sites in North Carolina. Our students rotate through official sites of the program only and will conceivable rotate through all clinical sites upon completion of the program. Therefore, it is not permissible to schedule a student to one clinical site near their home.

Can I take UNCG core courses before being accepted into your school?

It is highly recommended that the core courses be completed before enrolling in RSNA. It is not mandatory, as core courses are offered in the RSNA classroom for students living in the Raleigh area and also those currently enrolled in the program.

Does your school have a patient simulator?

Yes, the school owns its own simulator. Students experience simulator scenarios in both the first and second semester. The program also has an inventory of airway, spines and CVP practice mannequins. In addition, the school offers both a difficult airway workshop and a spinal workshop as part of the curriculum. Cadaver experience is also included in the curriculum for students during the first year of the program.

Do I need to have BLS, ACLS, and PALS current when applying?

You do not necessarily need to have all three of these certifications in place upon application. These three certifications must be current and eligible for recertification upon enrolling into the program.