CRNA classes are now being furnished by nursing school
The Harris School of Nursing will begin offering a Certified Registered Nurse Anethestist program this August.
By Sarah McNamara
Staff Reporter

As twin sisters, Illeana and Lizbeth Guillen naturally have a lot in common, including their aspiring professions.

The freshmen nursing majors said they knew in high school they wanted to pursue careers as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and were concerned about whether or not TCU would have a CRNA program developed before they graduated.

But the Guillen twins don’t have to worry anymore because Dr. Rhonda Keen-Payne, dean of the Harris School of Nursing, said the first installment of CRNA classes at TCU will begin in August.

“I think there’s certainly less pressure for getting accepted into a CRNA program now,” Illeana Guillen said. “TCU will be teaching us what we need to know to get into their program.”

Keen-Payne said the idea for a CRNA program within the university has been considered for many years, but not put into action until two years ago.

“We wanted to be sure we had good resources and community support,” Keen-Payne said. “And I think we’ve got that now.”

Keen-Payne said a career as a nurse anesthetist is a rewarding profession with excellent salaries and plenty of job openings, but that there is an extreme shortage of RN’s and CRNA’s right now.

“CRNA’s provide two-thirds of all the anesthesia administered in the (United States),” she said. “There is an increased demand for anesthesia and a shortage of suppliers.”

Harriet Waring retired after 39 years as a professional CRNA and works closely with the Harris School of Nursing as a part-time advisor. She said it is wonderful that TCU has finally developed a CRNA program.

“It can’t be anything but a successful program in this area,” Waring said. “TCU will be helping to fulfill the need for CRNA’s both locally and nationally.”

The 28-month, graduate program will provide students with the real life, hands-on experience they need to have a successful career, Keen-Payne said.

The first 12 months consist of time spent in the classroom and the remaining time is spent in clinical rotations, she said.

“We are obligated as a faculty to have our graduates ready to do any kind of job there is to do out there,” Waring said. “These real life experiences provide them with the confidence to do just that.”

Applications are currently being accepted for admittance into the CRNA program and information can be found at the Web site (www.crna.tcu.edu). Keen-Payne said she doesn’t plan to accept more than 80 students so as not to overwhelm the program with potential problems that may come with its first year.

Keen-Payne also said the school was visited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, or COA, in September and is pending a decision until May 2003.

“We expect to be accredited,” Keen-Payne said. “The visiting team said we had a model of excellence.”

s.e.mcnamara@tcu.edu