Have questions about applying to Loma Linda University’s Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program? This FAQ page helps prospective nurse anesthesia students understand key admissions requirements, including critical care experience, science GPA, NursingCAS deadlines, interviews, recommendation letters, clinical rotations, and program expectations. Use these answers to prepare a complete and competitive CRNA application.
CRNA Program - Frequently Asked Questions
During this experience, the registered professional nurse must have developed critical decision making and psychomotor skills, competency in patient assessment, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. A critical care area is defined as one where, on a routine basis, the registered professional nurse manages one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (such as pulmonary artery catheter, CVP, arterial); cardiac assist devices; mechanical ventilation; and vasoactive infusions. Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States.
Examples of critical care units may include but are not limited to: Surgical Intensive Care, Cardiothoracic Intensive care, Coronary Intensive Care, Medical Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, and Neonatal Intensive Care. Those who have experiences in other areas may be considered provided they can demonstrate competence with managing unstable patients, invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology (as defined by the COA).
Application and documents are submitted through NursingCAS
It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that all documentation is submitted and received by LLUH before the program deadline.
- Only applicants with completed applications will be considered for an interview.
The Nurse Anesthesia Committee (NAC) will review all completed applications and invite selected candidates for an interview.
Attend personal interview with the NAC Interview Panel.
Applicants selected for admission will be notified via email.
When an applicant has been offered a position at LLUSN, information regarding how to complete the acceptance process and pay the confirmation deposit will also be included.
Still have questions? Contact Graduate Nursing - [email protected]
No. The Nurse Anesthesia Committee (NAC) will review all completed applications and generally select about 80 candidates for interviews.
No. A prior bachelor's or master's degree in nursing from an accredited school in the United States or equivalent from another country is required for admissions.
Science courses will include the following:
1. Anatomy & Physiology
2. Microbiology
3. Chemistry (i.e. Intro to Chem, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry OR General Chemistry I)
The program admits 18 students per cohort.
A Spiritual Advisor is defined as anyone who knows you spiritually, ethically, or can speak to your moral compass.
Yes. Applicants should be employed, full-time in an ICU unit but will need to have the necessary one year of full-time experience at the time of application.
No. There are no required entrance exams.
No. We consider and accept students from all faiths.
No. This is a full-time program.
Contact Graduate Nursing - [email protected]
Due to the rigorous nature of the nurse anesthesia program, employment is discouraged. To promote patient safety and student wellbeing, the student is not permitted to work within ten hours of the start of a clinical shift. The program forbids the employment of students as nurse anesthetists by title or function while enrolled in the program.
There are two, non-refundable, confirmation deposit of $2,500. These deposits will be credited toward the student's tuition upon matriculation.
Assignment of students to clinical rotations is made at the discretion of the program administration and is guided by the availability and needs of the clinical sites and each student’s knowledge, ability, and existing case requirements. It is the desire and intent of the administration to rotate each student in order to attain every available experience. However, clinical affiliations can be created, modified, or canceled at any time, making each student’s clinical rotation experience unique.
With the following exceptions, clinical sites are within driving distance (25-60 miles) of Loma Linda University:
Housing is provided at the following locations:
- Naval Medical Center San Diego
- St. Helena in the Napa Valley of Central California
- Adventist Health Bakersfield in Bakersfield, California
- Adventist Health Hanford Hospital in Hanford California
- Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California
Housing and rental car provided at the following location:
- Kettering Medical Center in Kettering, Ohio
- Note: clinical affiliations may be created, modified, or canceled at any time.
Although shadowing a CRNA is not a requirement, it is highly recommended. Submission of proof is required prior to the document's deadline. Shadowing experience must be with a CRNA and not an anesthesiologist.
Yes. CRNA graduates have an opportunity to work for LLUH.
- Your current ICU Director (or the person who complete your annual evaluation)
- Your current ICU Charge Nurse
- A Spiritual Advisor
We use the most recent grade for any repeated course when calculating both GPA's. Earlier grades for that course are not included.
Yes, you must submit your NursingCAS application before the July 1 deadline. Afterwards, an official transcript with final grades is due by August 1.
There is no expiration date for previously completed courses.
Once we receive your completed checklist, all applications are reviewed holistically by our Pre-Interview Committee, which considers every part of your admissions file to identify the most competitive applicants.
Applicants must submit their NursingCAS application by the July 1 deadline.
Shortly after submissions, applicants will also receive instructions for activating the LLU Portal. The portal will include supplemental forms (including recommendation forms) and other requirements that must be completed by August 1.
After your NursingCAS application is submitted, each recommender will automatically receive an email with instructions for completing an online recommendation form. You will also be able to track all of your recommendations on the LLU Portal.
The personal statement questions will become available in your LLU Portal checklist after your NursingCAS application has been submittted.