Idaho State University to Offer Idaho's First Nurse Anesthesia Degree Program

The first cohort begins Fall 2025

POCATELLO – Idaho State University’s School of Nursing is thrilled to announce the implementation of the first nurse anesthesia (CRNA) program in the state of Idaho.
The program received regional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in July and is currently undergoing the Capability Review Process for accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). Its first cohort would begin in Fall 2025 at the ISU Meridian campus, pending initial accreditation being granted by the COA.
Graduates from this three-year program will receive a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree and be eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam to become a CRNA. They will be prepared to provide a full range of anesthesia services to meet the growing needs of Idaho’s diverse population and remedy the critical anesthesia shortage in the region. The Idaho health care community has expressed significant interest in the development of this program. As nearly every hospital in the state is experiencing challenges with hiring and retaining qualified anesthesia providers, the new program is a long-term solution for this problem.

For questions, please email the CRNA Program Director at shadwestover@isu.edu or see our DNAP/CRNA Program