Rhode Island College School of Nursing (RICSON) and St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia (SJHSNA) announce the Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia option at Rhode Island College.

Graduates of the Rhode Island College School of Nursing/St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia will be eligible to take the National Certification Examination required for licensure as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

CRNAs are registered nurses with at least two years of extensive training in anesthesia. In Rhode Island, they are able to provide anesthesia in collaboration with medical doctors in any medical setting in which anesthesia is delivered.

RIC President Nancy Carriuolo said in a statement, “The new nurse anesthesia program is the first of its kind in Rhode Island higher education and is part of RIC’s ongoing efforts to support the needs of Rhode Island’s economy.”

To be admitted to the 30-month program, applicants must have a Bachelor of Science in nursing from a nationally accredited program and a minimum of one year of critical care experience. Due to clinical rotations, applicants must be licensed to practice nursing in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The program will begin in summer 2014, and a maximum of 10 students will be admitted each year. Applications are due Feb. 15, 2014.

“This specialized program is an important achievement,” said Jane Williams, dean of the RIC School of Nursing. “The program will meet a critical need for nurse anesthetists.”

According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, 58 percent of nurse anesthetists nationwide are between the ages of 55 and 64. Thirty-eight percent of nurse anesthetists, the association reports, plan to retire within five to 10 years.

Program information, including the application process, is available at www.ric.edu and at www.sjhsna.com.