05 Jan 2026 UAMS College of Nursing receives 10-year accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Program
LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing recently received notice that its Nurse Anesthesia Program was awarded continued accreditation for a 10-year term through the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA).
The COA is the only organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education to accredit the 154 nurse anesthesia educational programs located in the United States.
Representatives from the COA conducted a site visit in April to evaluate the program’s adherence to a rigorous set of standards and policies designed to ensure that students are well-prepared for clinical practice when they graduate. The program also had to complete a self-evaluation to assess the quality of its educational offerings and student outcomes.
The decade-long term is the maximum awarded by the accrediting body.
“An achievement like this is only possible because of the hard work of our staff and faculty in the Nurse Anesthesia Program,” said Sarah Rhoads, Ph.D., DNP, dean of the UAMS College of Nursing. “I appreciate them all for the support they provide to our students from orientation through graduation.”
This marks the first time the Nurse Anesthesia Program has received its continued accreditation, which is awarded to established programs that have demonstrated a record of achievement and stability. The UAMS program welcomed its first students in 2020 after receiving an initial five-year accreditation — the maximum awarded for new programs.
The three-year, full-time program, a specialty in the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, prepares students to provide high-quality, cost-effective anesthesia care to patients of all ages in a variety of clinical settings. Graduates gain eligibility to take their national certification examination to become certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). The Nurse Anesthesia Program has graduated 52 students since its inception.
The COA announcement came weeks after the College of Nursing received accreditation renewals for four other programs through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
A team of evaluators visited the UAMS main campus to assess the college’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Nursing Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree programs as well as the postgraduate advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) certificate program. At its September meeting, the organization’s Board of Commissioners granted reaccreditation to each of the UAMS programs for the maximum term of 10 years.
Rhoads said the accreditation effort began long before the site visit, requiring the faculty and staff to spend countless hours on preparation and documentation. The process included a three-year self-evaluation of each program’s compliance with commission standards. “Maintaining this level of accreditation takes a cohesive team, and I am so proud that this was recognized by CCNE,” she said.
Rhoads, who has served as dean since September, said the endeavor was led by Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, professor emerita and former dean of the college, and Teresa Whited, DNP, APRN, associate dean of academic programs and accreditation.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is an independent agency that’s recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable evaluator of nursing programs. Accreditation is a voluntary process that encourages a program’s continued self-assessment and growth, according to the commission’s website.
Whited noted that the commission’s core values strive to foster qualities such as integrity, innovation and accountability. “This is an ongoing exercise in quality improvement that helps us provide excellence in nursing education,” she said.
C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., interim chancellor of UAMS, said the decisions from the two accrediting organizations reflect the college’s commitment to its students and to the patients whom they’ll someday serve. “I’m grateful for all the staff and faculty members in the UAMS College of Nursing who continue to raise the bar for quality nursing education in Arkansas,” he said.
Learn more at uams.edu or uamshealth.com.
