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Advanced Pain Management Fellowship Admission

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The TCU School of Nurse Anesthesia program participates in the Nursing Centralized Application Services (NursingCas). An application fee will be collected by NursingCas.

Applicants meeting the following criteria will be considered for admission:

  • Master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited nurse anesthesia program 
  • Minimum of two years’ practice as a CRNA prior to start of Fellowship 
  • Unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse 
  • APRN licensure  
  • Certification in BLS and ACLS; PALS optional 
  • Certification or recertification as a nurse anesthetist by the NBCRNA 
  • AANA membership
  • Health insurance
  • If English is not the first language, a score of at least 94 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  • Letters of recommendation and evaluations from two (2) professional references. More information can be found in the NursingCAS application.

Vaccination record of each of the following:

  • COVID-19 vaccination (optional)
  • Current influenza vaccination
  • Tdap vaccination within the last 10 years
  • Tuberculosis testing within the last year
    • Negative 2-step (preferred)
    • Negative QuantiFERON-TB Gold blood test (preferred), or Negative 1-step test (accepted)
  • Laboratory report for quantitative antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen greater than or equal to 10 mIU/mL
    • Qualitative positive anti-HBs laboratory reports are not accepted
  • Laboratory reports for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella with a quantitative numerical titer that confers immunity or qualitative positive result

The Advanced Pain Management Fellowship requires finishing both a basic and intermediate assessed non-surgical pain management (NSPM) cadaver workshop.

  • Accepted fellowship applicants will attend the basic NSPM cadaver workshop in June or July before the fellowship courses start in August
  • Fellows will participate in the intermediate NSPM cadaver workshop during the fall semester in October, which includes an on-campus physical assessment and diagnosis skills check
  • Both the basic and intermediate NSPM cadaver workshops take place in Fort Worth
  • Details about enrolling in the NSPM cadaver courses will be provided during fellowship interviews

For more information about these workshops, contact j.rowles@tcu.edu.

This online course covers the six NSPM exam areas, is recognized by the NBCRNA and is approved by the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) for 10 Class A continuing education (CE) credits, including one pharmacology credit. 
 
Online learning allows flexible timing and location. Module post-tests are open book and learners have three attempts to achieve a passing score of 80%. Upon successful completion, one CE certificate is issued and credits are reported to the AANA. 
 
The program is pre-approved by the AANA for 12.75 Class A CE credits, with three of them in pharmacology. The approval code is 1044306, and it's valid until 5/30/2025.

U-STORE

TCU Fellows are required to carry an occurrence malpractice policy with $1M/$3M limits during their clinical semesters (spring and summer). This policy must be in effect for any state(s) of clinical assignment and is at the expense of the Fellow.

For more information, contact j.rowles@tcu.edu.

It's important to note that CRNA pain management practice rules vary from state to state in the U.S. Before enrolling in the program, CRNA's interested in practicing pain management should consult with the Fellowship director and the relevant licensing agency in the state they plan to practice in. This will help them understand state-specific requirements and scope of practice possibilities upon completion of the program. 

See additional resources: state nurse anesthesia associations, AANA Practice Management and state boards of nursing.

2023-24

  Semester I (Fall) Semester II (Spring) Semester III (Summer) Total
Credit hours 7 8 4 19
Tuition $13,090 $14,960 $7,480 $35,530
Clinical fee   $4,500 $4,500 $9,000
Program cost      

$44,530

Fellows are responsible for additional costs including, but not limited to, textbooks, malpractice insurance, travel accommodations and transportation, the NSPM-C exam and the required basic and intermediate NSPM workshops.

Dates & Deadlines

  • Applications open October 15 in the NursingCAS portal  
  • Application deadline June 5.  
  • Candidates notified of admission status by June 30.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Candidates who satisfactorily meet these criteria will be invited for an interview. All applications and required materials, including letters of recommendation and the application fee, must be received by the deadline for the class beginning in August. A $1,000 deposit is due upon program acceptance and will be applied to program tuition.