Master's in Nurse Anesthesia vs MSN in Nurse Anesthesia vs MHS

[EBDRN]

Hey you guys. I'm confused about something. I just received my acceptance letter to TCU, and I absolutely loved the school. I have upcoming interviews at Baylor and UT in Houston , and have already interviewed at TCU and TWU. Although, I know I loved TCU, does the degree you graduate with matter? At UT you get a MSN- CRNA and at TWU a Master's CRNA and MHS, and Baylor and TCU Master's CRNA only. Will the degree type affect me in the future? With the talk of requiring all CRNA's to be trained at the doctorate level, will there be a program to transition those with Master's in CRNA to PhD level? What do you think? Thanks for the help, and wish me luck, Baylor interview is this Friday.

[Idaho-RN]

First of all welcome to the site and congrats on your interview. I don't have a whole ton of knowledge on this subject, but i'll give it a go. I think the degree you get depends on what you would like to do with it. If you are going to stay with Anesthesia for your entire career, it doesn't matter. If you would like the option to teach nursing school, go with the MSN. If you would like to teach NA students I imagine somewhere down the road an PhD would be helpful. As far as the doctorate prepared NA students are concerned, I believe it will be more of a clinical doctorate as opposed to a PhD. Of course, that is if they decide to require it as entry level someday. Hope this helps.

Phil

[athomas91]

it really doesn't make a difference - the AANA sets forth requirements that all programs must meet - and trust me - noone is going to turn you away from teaching due to your degree - CRNA instructors are sorely needed.

[MmacFN]

Hey there

Well I have been told that if you want to teach Anesthesia (not clinical but didactic) in a school associated with an MSN you have to have an MSN (in fact this is the case at my school). I also understand that while the AANA is resisting the DNP thing, many CRNA schools associated with MSN programs are transitioning to DnP as per the 2015 edict.

I have also been told that the programs who are not associated with nursing schools are beginning to look for associations with them in order to offer the DnP. A DnP is significantly easier than a PhD (a true doctorate). PhDs take years to complete and a DnP is only an extra few months added onto the current MSN CRNA programs.

So if you want to be a CRNA and don't plan to teach, MS, MSN doesn't matter. If you think you want to get a DnP you have no choice but to goto a MSN program (you cannot transition to DnP from an MS not in nursing as i understand it). As this DnP movement gains momentum it may well be that all the MS schools begin to transition to MSN/DnP schools. Its very easy to do so since all of these classes can be done online.

Overall its hard to say how this will trend. Talk to your local schools and see what they think

[LouCRNA]

it really doesn't make a difference - the AANA sets forth requirements that all programs must meet - and trust me - noone is going to turn you away from teaching due to your degree - CRNA instructors are sorely needed.

That isn't actually correct. If you want to teach at a program that offers a nursing degree, your masters must be a nursing masters. At least it is that way here in IL. It doesn't matter to the AANA maybe, but to the state board of nursing, it does. I know this for a fact, because one of my clinical preceptors, a TCU graduate, wasn't able to teach at our university for the NA program because her masters was in anesthesia, not in nursing. I think it's stupid, but that's the way the board of nursing has it set up.

[RN29306]

I think here in TN its more university specific than state boards, but I agree with lou.

[athomas91]

i guess i was partially mistaken - sorry
but here it isn't that way - some of my instructors didn't even have their master's YET...they were grandfathered in CRNA's that were taking classes with some of us to get their masters as they taught us... weird...
anyway - i find that absolutely ridiculous as a requirement - are they saying that CRNA's with a masters in anesthesia aren't nurses? it sounds very discriminant....

[dgd611]

At the program that I am in (MSN), the director has a PhD, and the instructors have to be working on their doctorate. Most are working on their DNP. As far as the MSN or MS, it doesn't really matter. If and when the entry-level degree is changed again, those already in active practice will be grandfathered in.
Derek