Clinical hours are defined in the Glossary of the 2004 Standards and PDS. Clinical hours include time spent in the actual administration of anesthesia (i.e., anesthesia time) and other time spent in the clinical area. Examples of other clinical time would include in-house call, preanesthesia assessment, postanesthetic assessment, patient preparation, operating room preparation, and time […]
Category: FAQ
Does the COA have other requirements regarding student time spent in the clinical environment?
The 2004 Standards and PDS limit student time commitment to a reasonable number of hours that does not exceed 64 hours per week (ref. 2004 Standards – Standard V, Criterion E9 and PDS Standard F.9). This limitation is meant to support patient safety and promote effective student learning. The Glossary defines “reasonable time commitment” as […]
How do students obtain clinical experiences outside the regular clinical schedule to meet the call experience requirement?
Standard III, Criterion C19 (2004 Standards) and Standard E.10 (PDS) require programs to provide “opportunities for students to obtain clinical experiences outside the regular clinical schedule by a call experience or other mechanism.” Call experiences are planned clinical experiences outside the normal operating room schedules. Assigned duty on shifts falling within these hours (e.g., 3-11PM, […]
What are some examples of nurse anesthesia students being employed as nurse anesthetists by title or function?
Standard V, Criterion E8 (2004 Standards) and Standard G.8 (PDS) require the program to forbid the employment of nurse anesthesia students as nurse anesthetists by title or function. The clinical education of nurse anesthesia students should be primarily focused to benefit the education of the students. Students’ clinical assignments should be primarily based on their […]
Why is information the COA collects and considers in its accreditation decision-making process considered confidential?
The COA follows its policies and procedures in providing programs’ accreditation related information to the public. The policies and procedures are consistent with the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognition requirements for accrediting agencies. Maintaining confidentiality within the accreditation process promotes candor. Assurance of confidentiality allows programs […]
