Mission and Philosophy

Our mission

The primary purpose of the nurse anesthesia program is to prepare the Registered Professional Nurse to become an outstanding nurse anesthetist through critical thinking, creativity and excellence in practice. The Missouri State University School of Anesthesia guides the nurse anesthesia student to accomplish this goal via formal didactic teaching in the classroom, and clinical teaching in the operating room. The internally motivated student will gain increasing responsibility in anesthetic care through guidance as well as self-directed study. The curriculum offers the content needed to accomplish these goals.

The purpose and goal of the Nurse Anesthesia Program are congruent with the purpose of Missouri State University. To achieve its mission, the program is committed to fostering excellence in teaching. It provides an educational environment of inquiry and learning for the advanced practice registered nursing student. The learning environment fosters a commitment to care and service in the community while promoting personal integrity, professional responsibility, recognition of inclusive excellence, and ethical behavior of the highest caliber. The curriculum combines clinical practicum with a fundamental knowledge of research relating to anesthesia. It provides the scientific background and practical experience necessary to prepare qualified registered nurse anesthetists.

Our philosophy

The School of Anesthesia teaches high quality, compassionate, anesthesia health care service to those in need, through education in a personalized environment. These services include education, prevention, wellness, outreach and long-term as well as direct and indirect services to suburban, rural, underserved areas as well as ethnically diverse populations and patients.

Missouri State University is a public, comprehensive metropolitan system with a statewide mission in public affairs, whose purpose is to develop educated persons. Missouri State University accomplishes this mission by providing quality instruction, furthering research and scholarly inquiry, and providing community service. The institution is committed to support these activities as integrated functions. Health care is a prominent part of the University’s mission.

The program embraces the belief that education is a lifelong process, characterized by teacher-directed and self-directed activities. Education in this program is best accomplished in an atmosphere of inquiry, stimulated by both teacher and learner.

The graduate of this program has a broad base of knowledge acquired through lectures, participation in clinical conferences, clinical practice, and independent study. The graduate formulates and executes an anesthetic plan tailored to the needs of each patient based upon the evaluation of patient records and laboratory data, obtaining a meaningful history from the patients, and making a physical assessment for the safe conduct of anesthesia.