The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis has moved its first nurse anesthesia doctoral cohort into clinical training.
According to a Sept. 23 news release, the 16 students marked the move from classroom to operating room with a capping ceremony on Sept. 22.
The Sacramento-based school runs the first Doctor of Nursing Practice–Nurse Anesthesia program in the University of California system. It is the sixth program of its kind in California. The students come from across the state, including Sacramento, the Bay Area, Ukiah, Fresno, Chico and San Diego.
Each student must complete at least 2,000 clinical hours before graduating in June 2028. They will train at UC Health campuses and at partner sites such as Adventist Health Ukiah, Plumas District Hospital and Oak Valley Hospital in Oakdale. Several of those are rural facilities where patients have limited access to anesthesia providers.
The program comes as the U.S. faces a projected shortage of about 12,500 anesthesia providers by 2033. California’s population of nearly 40 million is also aging.
“Our responsibility is not simply to prepare outstanding clinicians. It is to prepare a workforce capable of serving all of California,” said Stephen Cavanagh, PhD, dean of the nursing school.
Program Director Jakkarin “Jake” Sareerak, DNP, reminded students that behind every clinical number is a patient who trusts them at a vulnerable moment. Student Ray Lopez said the first cohort carries the job of setting the standard for the classes that follow.
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