September 2, 2021
Students interested in the medical field now have another educational program to choose from in South Dakota.
The South Dakota Board of Regents recently approved the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree to be offered at the Community College for Sioux Falls. The program, which prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), will begin admitting students as early as summer 2023.
According to an August 5 Board of Regents press release, the University of South Dakota program will help “build and grown the healthcare workforce in the state.”
Additionally, the press release provided the following information about the career: “Nurse anesthetists work in a variety of settings where they administer anesthesia and provide care before, during, and after surgical, therapeutic, diagnostic, and obstetrical procedures. They also provide pain management and some emergency services. Nurse anesthetists serve as the sole provider of anesthesia care in 83% of South Dakota’s counties.”