School of Nursing Receives Maximum 10 Year Re-Accreditation for Nurse Anesthetist Program

Published July 23, 2021

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia (COA) has granted continued accreditation to University at Buffalo School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthetist Program for 10 years, the maximum accreditation status a program can achieve. 

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Cheryl Spulecki.
“The max re-accreditation received confirms the program's high level of standards to provide the community with exceptional graduates. ”
Cheryl Spulecki, Nurse Anesthetist Program Director
UB School of Nursing

“The max re-accreditation received confirms the program’s high level of standards to provide the community with exceptional graduates,” says Cheryl Spulecki, DNAP, RN, CRNA, ACNP, director of UB’s Nurse Anesthetist Program. “It also defines the School of Nursing’s dedication to the specialty of advanced practice nursing at the doctoral level.”

Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) have provided anesthesia care to patients in the United States for more than 150 years. Each year, CRNAs safely administer more than 50 million anesthetics to patients in the U.S., and they represent more than 80% of anesthesia providers in rural and underserved counties. They are highly skilled professionals who provide much needed services in every practice setting where anesthesia is administered; with patient safety at the forefront, as experts in safe, high quality anesthesia care, their educational preparation is critical.

At UB School of Nursing, nurse specialists, CRNAs and physician anesthesia providers ensure nurse anesthesia students receive a high quality education that prepare them for clinical, educational, research and leadership positions. Students also benefit from hands-on learning in the SON’s patient simulation center, which includes an operating room with advanced monitoring and gas-delivery systems and employs advanced technology to support the surgical and resuscitative care of a full-body, computerized mannequin.

“The UB Nurse Anesthetist Program offers small class size and individual attention, both in the coursework and clinical residency,” Spulecki says. “We incorporate preparation of the national certification exam within the coursework from day one and excel with dedicated faculty and staff, prioritizing our student’s success with a superior experience.

“As program director, I am grateful to be a part of the leadership behind this accomplishment.”

The program’s reaccreditation status is effective May 19, 2021. The COA also approved a 20% increase in the program’s class size.

The Nurse Anesthetist Program, School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, State University of New York is a three-year, 123 credit program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthetist Programs (COA), 222 Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068, 847-665-1160. 

Media Contact Information

Sarah Goldthrite
Director of Marketing, Communications & Alumni Engagement
School of Nursing
105 Beck Hall (South Campus)
Email: sgoldthr@buffalo.edu
Tel: 716-829-3209