Baptist Health & Murray State University CRNA Program

In Kentucky, there is only one CRNA school and that is the Baptist Health & Murray State University.

Address: 102 Curris Center, Murray, Kentucky

Phone: 800-272-4678

Contact: Nurse Anesthesia Program Administrator: Dr. Tiffany Eye – teye@murraystate.edu / 270-809-6664

Nurse Anesthesia Assistant Program Administrator: Dr. Amy Howell Cook – acook35@murraystate.edu / 270-809-5463

About The Program

This CRNA program will take 36 months to complete and at the end of it, you’ll be able to get a DNP in Nurse Anesthesia. It is a blended distance learning format which means that you’ll be able to do part of this program online. The first two semesters are completely online (fall and spring). Due to this format, you can actually work in the first year. After the first year, the rest of the program is hybrid meaning that you’ll be able to do a portion online and the other portion in face to face classes. When the clinical part of the program begins, it will either be at the St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington or Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville in  Madisonville. 

This program is small which means that you’ll get more attention and support from faculty. The number of graduates in 2021 was 16 and in 2022 and 2023 there were 17 graduates respectively. 

The overall attrition rate in 2021 was 11%, in 2022 it was 5% and in 2023 it was 6%. Next, we’ll look at first time pass rates for the NBCRNA certification. In 2021, it was an impressive 95%, in 2022 it was 82% and in 2023 it was 65%. The overall pass rate in 2021 was 100%, in 2022 it was 94% and in 2023 it was 94%. 

If you’re interested in applying to this program, you will need to submit your application and all the relevant material by the 1st of November via the NursingCas. 

A Quick Look At The Murray State University

Curious about this Kentucky CRNA university? Check out this quick overview:

Ranking

This school was ranked #100 in the 2011 U.S. News & World Report, #88 in the 2016 report and is currently ranked #112 in the 2024 report.

Accreditation

This program is fully accredited by the COA. It will be up for review in Spring 2026. 

Tuition

The tuition rate for 2024 and 2025 is as follows:

Regular tuition – $764.50 (per hour)

Online tuition – $593.50 (per hour)

Nurse Anesthesia program fee: $5,601 per semester

Estimated total cost per academic year: $37,389.00

For the entire program: $112,167

Do note that this cost includes housing, food, additional expenses etc. For a full break out of expenses, have a look here.

What Makes The Baptist Health & Murray State University CRNA Program Special?

  1. It is a hybrid online and in person program with the first year being completely online. Due to this, you can work in the first year of the program which isn’t the case for the majority of other CRNA schools
  2. If you want to join this program but are from another state (that’s not Kentucky), you will still be allowed to pay the in-state Kentucky tuition rate. 

Program Requirements

In order to be accepted into this program, you’ll need to meet certain program requirements. To start with, you’ll need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited program with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. You’ll also need to have a minimum of 1 year critical care experience within 5 years of your application. 

Your registered nursing license needs to be unencumbered and you’ll also need to be able to get a RN license in Kentucky. 

The prerequisite courses include organic, inorganic or biochemistry. Undergraduate statistics is also necessary.

Your application will need to include 3 professional references.

Certifications Required

  • PALS
  • BLS
  • ACLS
  • TOEFL – This is only necessary if english is your second language.

It is also highly recommended that you do the NIC and CCRN examinations. 

Clinical Sites

There are 20 clinical sites and they are as follows:

  • Baptist Health Hardin
  • Jackson Purchase 
  • Baptist Health Paducah 
  • Clark Regional
  • Murray Calloway County Hospital 
  • Lexington Surgery Center
  • Hazard ARH 
  • Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville 
  • Jasper-Memorial Hospital 
  • Norton Children’s
  • Jeannie Stuart Health 
  • Lake Cumberland- Somerset 
  • Owensboro Health Regional
  • Owensboro Health Twin Lakes 
  • Taylor Regional
  • Lourdes – Mercy Health 
  • St. Joseph – Mt Sterling
  • Norton Audubon
  • St. Joseph – London 
  • Norton Hospital
  • Norton Women’s and Children’s
  • Ohio County 
  • Owensboro Health- Muhlenberg 
  • St. Joseph – East

Baptist Health & Murray State University CRNA Application Requirements

As mentioned previously, if you want to apply to this Kentucky school’s program, you will need to submit your completed application in the NursingCAS by the 1st of November. You will need to pay the NursingCAS fee, however, fortunately, this university doesn’t have any additional fees. 

You will need to send your school transcripts to the NursingCAS. Do note that these transcripts only need to be sent upon acceptance from this university. 

Once you have sent in your application, you will receive a reply via email whether you’ve been accepted or not. These emails are typically sent out in the middle of February. 

Interview Tips

According to past interviewees you can expect a mix of personal and clinical questions with more personal questions. 

A few example questions that you might be asked:

  1. What is your biggest accomplishment?
  2. How would you resolve a conflict with a co-worker or patient?
  3. Why should we choose you for this program?
  4. Tell us about your strong and weak personality traits.

You may be given a clinical based test during the interview (especially if it is a virtual interview via a link).

Kentucky CRNA Salary

We will now look at a listing of average CRNA salaries in Kentucky according to:

Salary.com: $203,823

ZipRecruiter: $216,829

Indeed.com: $199,787

Incrediblehealth.com: $180,330 

Other Schools

There are many other potential schools to choose from if you’re not sure about this one.