Certified Registered
Nurse Anesthetist

Anesthesia is a safe and effective method of alleviating pain during a medical procedure. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) administer spinal (in the spine), intravenous (in the vein), and other anesthetics to patients during surgical procedures, childbirth, and special medical treatments. They are responsible for patient care before, during, and after procedures, monitoring every critical function of the patient's body to ensure that blood pressure, pulse, respiration, pupils, and skin color are all normal. They communicate these vital statistics to the physician(s) during and after the procedure.

Work Environment
Certified registered nurse anesthetists can work in a variety of settings where anesthesia is used, including hospitals, birthing centers, dental centers, plastic surgery centers, ambulatory surgical centers, health care educational institutions, and military health care facilities.

Job Outlook
The job outlook for certified registered nurse anesthetists is excellent. According to a study by the National Center for Nursing, there is a 13.6 percent shortage of CRNAs nationally. The recent acceleration of managed care services will provide additional opportunities and new challenges for these advanced practice nurses.

Length of Training/
Requirements
Applicants for this advanced training must hold a bachelor's degree in nursing or the equivalent, be licensed as a registered nurse, and have at least one year of critical-care nursing experience. Nurse anesthesia education programs consist of 25 to 36 months of graduate work including both classroom and clinical experiences.

Salary
Salary depends on education, geography, job setting, and experience. Current salaries range from $75,000 - $110,000+.

Educational Programs
Master's Degree
Baylor College of Medicine
Texas Wesleyan University
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
The University of Texas Houston Health Science Center

Professional Associations
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
222 South Prospect Avenue
Park Ridge, IL 60068-4001
847/692-7050
Fax: 847/692-6968