School Launches Master in Cardiovascular Perfusion Science Program
The School of Nursing has earned accreditation for its Master in Cardiovascular Perfusion Science program from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and will welcome its first cohort of students this fall.
Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is launching a Master in Cardiovascular Perfusion Science program with the inaugural cohort slated to start in Fall 2023.
A cardiovascular perfusionist is responsible for operating cardiopulmonary bypass or support machines used for the temporary replacement of heart and/or lung function. With more than 340,000 coronary artery bypass surgeries performed annually, perfusionists are in high demand.
A perfusionist is a member of an interprofessional health care team (surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, etc.) who typically works in an operating room environment. Perfusionists provide mechanical support using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), blood transfusion devices, intra-aortic balloon pumps, ventricular-assist devices, and more.
“The staggering number of coronary and transplantation procedures performed annually shows the demand for high quality perfusion scientists,” said Mani A Daneshmand, MD, the program’s medical advisor and Andrew J McKelvey Professor in Lung Transplant Surgery in Emory’s Department of Surgery. “Emory’s perfusion program is designed to educate and prepare perfusionists to be an integral part of the health care team.”
Emory’s cardiovascular perfusion program is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a science or health-related discipline. It is a full-time, five-semester program that includes classroom, laboratory, simulation, and clinical practica experiences at sites typically located within the metro Atlanta area. Students will also complete direct care clinical hours and simulated learning experiences at our new Emory Nursing Learning Center in Decatur, Ga.
Program graduates will be prepared to enter the field as competent perfusionists and will be eligible to sit for the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) certification examination.
The program application period is now open. Applicants selected for interviews will be notified in early Spring.
For more information about Emory’s Master in Cardiovascular Perfusion Science program, click here.
