About The Nurse Anesthesia Program

Decatur Memorial Hospital Nurse Anesthesia Program began educating Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in 1965 to address the shortage of nurse anesthetists and improve recruitment efforts of the hospital. The nurse anesthesia program has evolved throughout its existence to meet the needs and expectations of our students, the nurse anesthesia profession, and requirements for continued accreditation.

Decatur Memorial Hospital partnered with Millikin University in the summer of 2010 to launch The Millikin University and Decatur Memorial Hospital Nurse Anesthesia Program. As a result of the new partnership, the program became the fourth track within the Millikin University School of Nursing Master in Nursing (MSN) program. Coursework prepares qualified, experienced Registered Nurses in the Advanced Practice Nursing specialty of nurse anesthesia. A strong emphasis is placed upon performance learning opportunities focusing on advanced knowledge and technical skills required for unrestricted nurse anesthesia practice. The most recent class completed the program in May 2012. Ten out of twelve passed the National Certification on the initial attempt and all graduates who passed the exam are employed. The graduation rate was 92% (12/13). The first cohort will graduate from The Millikin University and Decatur Memorial Hospital Nurse Anesthesia Program in December 2013.

• The current MSN Nurse Anesthesia Program is a 72-credit, 31 month full-time course of study culminating in the MSN degree.
• The Millikin University and Decatur Memorial Hospital Nurse Anesthesia Program has applied to the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) to transition from awarding the MSN degree to awarding the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
  • COA approval must be obtained prior to students being admitted to the DNP program.
  • Should COA approval not occur in time for the class matriculating in January 2014, successful student candidates will be admitted to the current MSN track 4 program.

Once the anesthesia practicum courses begin, the student does not follow the traditional university semester calendar. Each practicum course is continuous with the next practicum and with vacation and holiday time appropriately allocated to the individual student.