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Nurse Anesthetist Education Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Army have partnered to educate interested and qualified VA nurses in the field of nurse anesthesia. The US Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing (USAGPAN), U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas is preparing to enroll the next class of VA students into their nurse anesthesia program in June 2025. This program is contingent upon continued funding.

**Enrollment into this program does not constitute enlistment into any sector or branch of the U.S. military.** Individuals awarded a VA Employee Incentive Scholarship Program (EISP) position to attend the USAGPAN, traditionally do so as a full time VA employee.

The thirty-six-month program is divided into two phases; didactic and clinical. Phase I (didactic) is one year long and is conducted at the US Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) at San Antonio, TX (Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston). The Phase II (clinical) is currently at the VA Medical Center- Memphis, TN. Students will also rotate to other approved clinical sites (e.g. obstetric, pediatric, trauma rotations). Partnered with Baylor University, this program will grant a doctorate degree in nursing practice. Students will be responsible for their own living, moving, and travel expenses throughout the program.

All applicants must meet the admission standards of Baylor / USAGPAN

  • BSN or MSN required (US based and US accredited programs only)
  • BSN or MSN GPA minimum of 3.0
  • Basic health sciences minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Undergraduate or Graduate Statistics course
  • At least one year of critical care nursing experience as a Registered Nurse (as defined by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, pp. 36-37)
  • Optional (Recommended): CCRN or CEN
  • Required by VA: GRE (within 5 years)
  • Optional (Recommended): Undergraduate or graduate course in Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry with a grade of B or higher (course requires Baylor/USAGPAN approval).
  • VA applicants must be a VA employee (one year) and be EISP eligible.
**Note: The GRE is required by VA

Refer to the Baylor / USAGPAN website for complete and updated admission requirements.
The application is a multistep part process for VA applicants.

Part One: Submission to Baylor / USAGPAN

The following documents must meet the application standards of Baylor / USAGPAN, as noted above, and are required in order to be eligible for a VA Interview.

  1. Personal essay/letter
  2. Curriculum vitae
  3. Official Transcripts
  4. Official GRE report (required)
  5. All recommendation letters (see details below)
  6. CCRN (recommended)

Applicants must provide the required documents via Baylor’s secure application portal. Baylor will then make the information available for the USAPGPAN/VA. The most competitive applicants will receive an invitation to be interviewed by the VA EISP USAGPAN Selection Board. Note on the Baylor / USAGPAN website the application opens on 01 FEB 2024 and the overall Baylor deadline for application submission is 01 Aug 2024. However, in order to be considered to receive a VA EISP Scholarship to attend the USAGPAN, it is a VA requirement that the above application materials must be received by 1 May 2024.

Part Two: Application for VA EISP Scholarship to attend the Baylor / USAGPAN

The application for a VA Employee Incentive Scholarship Program (EISP) Scholarship to attend the Baylor / USAGPAN is NOT initiated until the applicant is notified both by Baylor / USAGPAN and the Deputy Director VACO Anesthesia (Dr. Reedy) of their selection. Dr. Reedy will coordinate guidance for the selectees and their EISP coordinators to complete the EISP application process. However, we recommend that applicants consult with their EISP coordinators during the initial application process to Baylor / USAGPAN to verify their eligibility to qualify for a scholarship.

Required Letters of Recommendation

Three satisfactory academic/professional references

  1. A letter of recommendation from your facility’s Nurse Executive (i.e. the top Nursing leader) is required to verify their support of your upward mobility within the VA System.
  2. A letter of recommendation from your critical care supervisor should attest to your competency in the below described clinical skills and personal attributes that reflect your potential to become an outstanding nurse anesthetist.
  3. A letter of recommendation from the Chief of Anesthesia and/or Chief CRNA (obtained after a minimum 16-hour clinical anesthesia shadowing). This responsibility may be delegated to a staff CRNA(s) under the direction of the of the anesthesia department leadership.

Note: One or two additional letters of recommendation is acceptable from medical/anesthesia providers who can attest to your abilities to become a successful CRNA. Letters of recommendation must be submitted via Baylor’s secure application portal, or a copy emailed directly to the USAGPAN as noted above by 01 May 2024.

Service Obligation

  • EISP funding for this program requires a 3-year full-time employment commitment within the VA Health Care System after completion of the program.
  • Your EISP application will need to be sponsored by a specific VA. However, recognizing that local requirements can change during the three years of your education, your commitment is to serve 3 years as a CRNA at whatever VA facility the Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health determines needs CRNA services. This might not be the EISP sponsoring facility.
  • The service obligation agreement is a signed, legally binding contract between VA and the EISP participant and specifies the obligations of the Department and the employee.
  • If the EISP participant breaches or fails to honor the EISP contract, the EISP participant may be subject to payment of damages, penalties and interest as described in the EISP Handbook.

Link to the EISP Handbook (policy) for your review.
The EISP policy is VHA Directive 1426.01(2) and can be found at: https://vaww.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=8491

Admission Process

A completed application and all supporting materials must be submitted through the Baylor University Application Portal.

  • The admission application for the program through Baylor University’s website opens up annually on 1 February and is available at the bottom of the Application Requirements page. Select 2025 Army Baylor application.
  • It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify the application process is complete through Baylor University’s Graduate School / Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
  • For additional information regarding the program please refer to the Baylor / USAGPAN website. For questions regarding the Baylor application contact Baylor’s USAGPAN Program Coordinator Jana Johns at jana_Johns@baylor.edu Phone: 972-576-9128.

If you have VA specific questions: please contact the VA / USAGPAN Liaison Dr. Regina Daniels at Regina.Daniels1@va.gov.

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