Press Release
January 22, 2007
Contact: Kaylyn Kendall Dines
(973) 972-3000
dineskd@umdnj.edu
UMDNJ Graduates First Newark Class of Nurse Anesthetists
National Nurse Anesthetists Week Held January 21 - 27, 2007
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NEWARK-Four women have been recognized as the first class to graduate from a nurse anesthetist graduate degree program on the Newark campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. UMDNJ is the state's only public university that is preparing nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.
The graduates, who are registered nurses with experience in acute care settings, earned a Masters of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree from a program offered by the UMDNJ-School of Nursing in collaboration with the UMDNJ-University Hospital. The following graduates are now prepared to sit for a national certifying exam for Certified Registered Nurses Anesthetists: Regina V. Alegre-Gomez, of Piscataway (Middlesex County); Heather Farrell, of Sewell, N.J. (Gloucester County); Catherine Quigley, of Harrison, N.J. (Hudson County); Claudia Young, of Maplewood, N.J. (Essex County).
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are advanced practice nurses who take care of a patient’s anesthesia needs before, during and after surgery or the delivery of a baby. They perform physical assessments, induce sleep, administer general, regional or sedation anesthesia, monitor vital signs, adjust anesthesia levels, as needed, and manage recovery from anesthesia. Nurse Anesthetists work closely with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other health care professionals in a variety of settings.
“In response to an identified need for more nurse anesthetists in the north eastern region, the UMDNJ-School of Nursing has partnered with The University Hospital to establish this CRNA program in August 2004,” said Clare Golden, MSN, CRNA, clinical instructor at the nursing school and CRNA program director. “Now, a little more than two years later, we are proud to recognize these highly qualified nurses who have become the first to complete this rigorous program of study.”
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, CRNAs administer about
65 percent of all anesthetics delivered in the United States annually. CRNAs earn the highest compensation of all advanced practice nurses.
“I am very enthusiastic about this program which trains nurses to master both specialized bedside skills as they apply in the operating room, as well as the advanced technologies used to administer anesthesia and monitor patient safety,” said Theresa Rejrat, vice president and chief nursing officer at The University Hospital.
The 28-month, 72-credit program at UMDNJ provides advanced preparation in health assessment, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, anesthesia, and peri-operative management. This program, which can be completed in seven semesters of full-time study, consists of approximately 30 students.
For information about the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program at the UMDNJ-School of Nursing, call the admissions office at 973-972-5336; e-mail SNrecruiter@umdnj.edu or visit http://sn.umdnj.edu.
To arrange an interview with these graduates, please call Kaylyn Dines at 973-972-7276. Electronic photos of the graduates are available upon request.
UMDNJ is the nation’s largest free-standing public health sciences university with more than 5,500 students attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and a school of public health on five campuses. Annually, there are more than two million patient visits at UMDNJ facilities and faculty practices at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, a statewide mental health and addiction services network.
