Nurse Anesthetist

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Work Tasks

NURSE ANESTHETIST is an advanced clinical nursing specialty. Nurse anesthetists keep patients asleep or pain free by administering spinal, intravenous, and other inhalation anesthetics to patients during surgical and other procedures. They constantly monitor every important function of the patient's body. Nurse anesthetists inform the surgeon of the condition of the patient during anesthesia. They oversee recovery from anesthesia and follow the patient's post-operative course from the recovery room to the patient care unit.

Salary, Size & Growth

• $145,500 average per year ($70.00 per hour)
• A very large occupation (2,655,000 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.2% per year)

Entry Requirements

Admission requirements to a NURSE ANESTHETIST educational program include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or other appropriate baccalaureate degree, a license as a Registered Nurse (RN), and a minimum of one year acute care nursing experience, such as critical care, cardiac, or emergency room nursing. All accredited nurse anesthesia educational programs award a master's degree. Graduates must meet all the requirements prescribed by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists in order to take the national examination for certification. Those who pass the examination are qualified to practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Re-certification, which includes practice and continuing education requirements, must be met every two years.