April 3, 2017

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MILWAUKEE — The Marquette University College of Nursing has announced a new Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia Program designed to meet a growing demand for nurse anesthetists. The program will bring together the nursing education and research expertise of Marquette with the clinical and educational thought leadership of the Medical College of Wisconsin. Froedtert & MCW Froedtert Hospital will be a primary teaching site, in addition to other clinical sites that will provide the best learning environments for the students.

"As the demand for nurse anesthetists continues to grow, this program will address a critical need in the healthcare industry," said Dr. Janet Wessel Krejci, dean of Marquette's College of Nursing. "Our students will be prepared through rigorous curriculum and clinical experiences as expert clinicians for every setting in which anesthesia is delivered to patients."

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners is projected to grow 31 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur primarily because of the effects of healthcare legislation, an increased emphasis on preventive care, and demand for healthcare services from the large, aging baby-boom population as they live longer and more active lives than previous generations."

The college hired Dr. Lisa Thiemann, CRNA, FNAP, to lead the program. Thiemann, who has held multiple academic and national positions within the nurse anesthesia community, comes to Marquette most recently from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. As director, she will initially focus on recruiting the program's first cohort and hiring an associate director.

"Marquette is dedicated to educating and training high-quality advanced practice nurses capable of delivering safe and effective care for Wisconsin's patients," Thiemann said. "It will be my honor to continue this tradition with the nurse anesthesia program and ensure continued access to nurse anesthesia services."

Students will spend their classroom time at Marquette and in clinical rotations with Medical College of Wisconsin physicians and nursing practitioners as well as regional clinical sites including Froedtert & MCW Froedtert Hospital, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Wheaton Franciscan Franklin Hospital, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - All Saints, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - Elmbrook Memorial Hospital, Wheaton Franciscan - St. Jospeh's Hospital, and Wheaton Franciscan St Francis Hospital.

The program's first cohort will begin in August 2018. Applications to enroll in the program are currently open, but no admittance letters will be issued until after accreditation.

Additional information is available online.