Partnership to Increase Nursing Anesthesia Education in Georgia
Partnership to Increase Nursing Anesthesia Education in Georgia
AUGUSTA, Ga. (Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012) – A new partnership between Georgia's academic health center and one of the state's largest hospitals is slated to add 50 percent more nurse anesthetists to the state's workforce.
The Central Georgia Nursing Anesthesia Collaborative will enable Georgia Health Sciences University to bolster its nurse anesthetist program with extensive clinical training at The Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon to increase the pool of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist graduates. The growth is particularly intended to target workforce needs in central and south Georgia.
CRNAs plan, implement and evaluate anesthesia care for patients having diagnostic, therapeutic or surgical procedures.
GHSU will admit 10 students into its Macon cohort in fall 2013. The program offers educational and career advancement opportunities for current MCCG registered nursing staff.
“The Medical Center of Central Georgia is committed to retention and provision of the CRNA program,” said MCCG Chief Nursing Officer Judy Paull. “This partnership will allow us to remain a primary clinical site for the highly regarded and fully accredited CRNA program at GHSU. We look forward to working together to achieve the ultimate goal of a high-quality, affordable educational experience that advances our commitment to patient care services.”
Students will spend three semesters in didactic, laboratory and simulation courses on the GHSU campus in Augusta and the final four semesters at MCCG, which will provide extensive clinical experience in cardiovascular, neurological, trauma, obstetrics and pediatrics surgery.
“Through this exemplary partnership with MCCG, we are delighted to increase the size of our outstanding nursing anesthesia program to serve a large geographic area of Georgia,” said GHSU College of Nursing Dean Lucy Marion.
GHSU launched its nursing anesthesia program in 1995 and has since graduated 179 CRNAs, most of whom practice in Georgia.
MCCG's current CRNA program agreement with the Mercer University School of Medicine will end later this year.