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Project Name: Nurse Anesthetist Traineeships (A22)
Applicant Title: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans
Abstract Text: The Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship (NAT) Program is designed to meet the needs of licensed registered nurses seeking graduate (doctoral level) nursing education in anesthesia at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing (LSUHSC SON). The NAT Program will provide traineeship funding for full-time first, second, and third year nurse anesthesia students to cover a portion of the costs for tuition, fees, books and reasonable living expenses. The project objectives include: 1) Recruit, train, and provide support (e.g., stipends, mentorship, peer support) to students including those from diverse populations such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in the nursing profession, thereby promoting the diversity of the CRNA workforce; 2) Provide traineeship awards to eligible Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs), enrolled full-time in an accredited nurse anesthesia program; 3) Enhance didactic and clinical curriculum that provides trainees experiential learning opportunities which focus on delivery of culturally competent care and addressing health equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) in vulnerable and underserved populations; 4) Increase the number of students trained in effective strategies to reduce and address burnout, suicide, mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Students will sign a HRSA Statement of Appointment form and a Commitment form that indicates whether the student is from a disadvantaged background and whether the student plans to work in a rural, medically underserved or HPSA upon graduation. The project director will be responsible for informing students of the NAT program and having interested students complete the HRSA Statement of Appointment form and Commitment form. The available traineeship funds will be equally dispersed among qualified applicants. Students in the Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP) receive clinical training in 42 clinical training sites, of which 100% reside in either rural, medically underserved or HPSAs. All LSUHSC SON nurse anesthesia students receive extensive clinical training in rural, medically underserved and HPSAs and are well prepared to practice independently and collaborate with interprofessional teams. Therefore, the NAT program increases access to nurse anesthesia care for underserved populations. The majority of nurse anesthesia students are Louisiana residents who remain in-state following graduation, to practice in the medically underserved parishes of the state. In May 2022, 44 nurse anesthesia students graduated from the program and demonstrated an 88.6% first-time pass rate on the national certification examination. The NAP has an average first-time pass rate of 88.1% over the past five years. As of February 2023, the program has a total enrollment of 161 students with the majority of enrolled students being from either minority, educational and/or economical disadvantaged backgrounds and with some students being from all three. It is projected that approximately 176 students will be requesting support under this application in Year One, 181 in Year Two, and 180 each in Years Three and Four. We are requesting statutory funding special consideration as 95% of the 2022 graduates are practicing in HPSAs. The LSUHSC SON NAP was accredited in May 2013, by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) for a period of ten years. The program length is 36 months over nine continuous semesters (without semester breaks). Graduates of the program earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and are eligible to take the national certification exam to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.