Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation is building a Doctor of Nursing Practice concentration in nurse anesthesia to help close Arizona’s nurse anesthetist shortage.

The first class is expected to start in fall 2027 on ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus, according to an Oct. 5 news release.

Arizona had 1,759 certified registered nurse anesthetists as of September. The state was short 732 nurse anesthetists in 2023, and the gap is projected to reach 868 by 2033.

The program is seeking initial accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. ASU will enroll residents only after it receives accreditation and approval from the Arizona State Board of Nursing.

The three-year program has 92 credit hours. Applicants need at least one year of full-time critical care experience, and residents must complete more than 2,000 supervised clinical hours. They will train in virtual reality and high-fidelity simulation before rotating through Arizona’s largest health systems, specialty surgical centers, community hospitals and tribal health facilities.

Mayo Clinic is contributing faculty, simulation facilities and clinical rotations through the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care.

“Clinicians who train here tend to stay here,” said Kendra Elliott, CRNA, the program’s founding director and a clinical associate professor at ASU.

Judith Karshmer, dean of Edson College, called the program “a major step toward addressing a critical workforce shortage.” Dr. Devyani Lal, dean of education at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, said nurse anesthetists will play a growing role as demand for surgical and procedural care rises.

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