All 18 students in the York College of Pennsylvania/WellSpan Health program passed their certification exam on the first attempt and received a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Each also now is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
The 36-month Nurse Anesthesia Program, jointly offered by York College of Pennsylvania and WellSpan Health, celebrated a 100% board pass rate among the 2024 graduating cohort. All 18 students passed their board certification exam on the first attempt, earning their Doctorate of Nursing Practice and certification as Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), licensed to administer anesthesia and other medications.
Jason Lowe, Ph.D., CRNA, PHRN, Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program, has been with York College since the program’s inception in 2006 and has served as director since 2016. Throughout his time with the program, he has overseen an overall first-time pass rate of 93%.
Keys to success
Dr. Lowe credits the program’s success to four key factors. The first is the students whom the College recruits. Getting into the Nurse Anesthesia Program is very competitive, he says. Students must hold a bachelor’s degree in Nursing and have critical care experience. On average, students enter the program with at least three years of experience in the field.
“We’re blessed with phenomenal students who are high achievers,” Dr. Lowe says. “They work hard to master difficult concepts.”
Second, Dr. Lowe credits the faculty members, who are committed to and available to students. They serve as role models and mentors to each cohort.
Third, success is fostered by the commitment of the program’s clinical sites. Usually, students don’t have to compete for cases because they’re the only students at their sites.
“To have clinical sites that provide so much access to our students really sets our program apart,” Dr. Lowe says.
Finally, Dr. Lowe points to strong alumni support as contributing to the students’ and the program’s success. York College alumni often teach students in clinicals, support them at events, and purchase board preparation materials for them. During the students’ final two years, the alumni group Supporting our Future Anesthetists paid for APEX, a reputable online prep course.
“We have the best alumni in the country,” Dr. Lowe says.
A path to growth
One of the significant changes that Dr. Lowe has overseen is the transition from a master’s degree program to a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. This change, initiated in 2016, saw its first doctoral cohort graduate in 2020. This year marked the fifth cohort of doctoral graduates, who now number 76. The cohort size also has grown each year. In 2020, 10 students became CRNAs. This year, the number was 18.
The collaboration between York College and WellSpan Health also has been crucial to the program’s success. The partnership provides a robust support system, Dr. Lowe says. York College offers the classrooms and degrees while WellSpan Health provides access to diverse clinical sites. Students rotate through various hospitals, gaining experience with a wide range of patients and specialties.
Dr. Joyce Abraham, CRNA, who graduated with the 2024 cohort, expressed her gratitude for the program’s support. Dr. Abraham earned her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Messiah University in 2016 and worked as an intensive care unit Registered Nurse for several years before being accepted into the program. When it came time to take the final exam, she felt well-equipped.
“A lot of life happens in three years. There was laughter and there were tears, but we did it,” she says. “During our first week of the program we vowed that we were ‘18 strong, 18 in and 18 out.’ I am so proud that we were able to accomplish this goal together. It really is a testament to our incredible faculty, family, friends, and good old-fashioned hard work.”
Dr. Abraham found a strong foundation of support in the leadership’s encouragement to form study groups. Putting their heads together to study and test one another helped Dr. Abraham and her fellow students strengthen areas of weakness. Rather than a competition, the program felt like an opportunity to lift one another up.
Training to succeed
Dr. Derek Weit, CRNA, another 2024 graduate, took a less conventional route to entering the program. Before becoming an RN, he served in the Marine Corps for five years, then earned his associate degree in Nursing from Harrisburg Area Community College in 2015 and his bachelor’s degree in Nursing Sciences from Florida Atlantic University in 2018.
After his first application for the program was rejected, Dr. Weit dove into a self-designed course of growth. He improved academically, spent hours reading and researching how to perform at high levels, and trained his pet to be a therapy dog, opening doors for volunteer opportunities.
“It took weeks to write my personal statement and I practiced interviewing for hours and hours,” he says. “I think not getting into the program my first year gave me an advantage to be a better applicant the second time.”
During the three-year program, Dr. Weit spent eight weeks at a clinical site at the Navajo Nation in Tuba City, Arizona. Living among the residents and supporting the hospital team and patients was a challenging yet memorable experience. Through that encounter, he built his confidence as a nurse anesthetist and realized that his training and education had prepared him for real-world application. It was one of many unique rotations he was able to experience during the program.
For someone who once dreamed only of earning an associate degree and never going to school again, Dr. Weit sees achieving the milestone of becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice and CRNA as one of the greatest achievements of his life.
“I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this profession and get to work alongside some incredibly smart and gifted people,” he says. “It is truly a privilege and honor to use knowledge, skills, and teamwork to keep a patient safe in order for a surgeon to perform an operation to improve someone’s life.”
A future full of potential
Stacey Holtzman, Nurse Anesthesia Program student coordinator, notes that the Class of 2024 lived out its mantra of ‘18 strong’ all the way to the end.
“That is exactly how they finished,” she says.
Dr. Lowe and Dr. Amy Reed, Assistant Program Director, have ambitious plans for the future. They are focused on recruiting additional faculty and enhancing clinical experiences for students. Their primary goal is to continue to provide top-tier education and support, ensuring that program graduates are well-prepared for successful careers in nurse anesthesia.
The program’s 2024 graduates are already making their mark in the field. Dr. Abraham will join Penn Medicine at Lancaster General Hospital while Dr. Weit will begin his career as a CRNA in Orlando, Florida. Others will step into roles as CRNAs around the region and the country.
“We are just really incredibly proud of this group,” Dr. Lowe says. “They embraced the culture, are tremendous professionals, worked very hard, and worked as a team. It’s just an outstanding group of professionals, and we’re excited to see where they go in the profession.”
2024 Doctorate of Nursing Practice graduates
Dr. Joyce Abraham, CRNA
Dr. Victoria Albert, CRNA
Dr. Erin Alford, CRNA
Dr. Joshua Brandt, CRNA
Dr. Matthew Hatch, CRNA
Dr. Abigail Holden, CRNA
Dr. Lauren Huber, CRNA
Dr. Anna Loffreda, CRNA
Dr. LeeAnn Loreto, CRNA
Dr. Grey Obregon, CRNA
Dr. Megan Peters, CRNA
Dr. Jocelyn Rutter, CRNA
Dr. Mary Sayers, CRNA
Dr. Peter Seliga, CRNA
Dr. Elyse Smith, CRNA
Dr. Paul Swift, CRNA
Dr. Slade Thickey, CRNA
Dr. Derek Weit, CRNA
