Overview
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are Advanced Practice Nurses who safely provide anesthesia care to more than 22 million surgical, obstetrical and trauma patients each year in the United States. They administer every type of anesthetic, work in every type of practice setting, and provide care for every type of operation or procedure – from open heart surgery to pain management programs.
CRNAs provide anesthetics to patients in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other qualified healthcare professionals. As Advanced Practice nurses, they are given a high degree of autonomy and professional respect.
Nurse Anesthetists have been providing anesthesia in the U.S. for over 125 years, beginning with their care of wounded soldiers during the Civil War. There currently are more than 36,000 nurse anesthetists in the U.S. – approximately 45% of whom are men (as compared with 8% men in the nursing profession as a whole). CRNAs are the sole providers of anesthesia in approximately two thirds of all rural hospitals in the United States, enabling these healthcare facilities to offer obstetrical, surgical, and trauma stabilization services. In some states, CRNAs are the sole providers in nearly 100% of the rural hospitals.
You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:
Nurse Anesthetist 16 May 2008 [pdf, 163 KB]
For more information about becoming a CRNA, see the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists website.
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Average Salary:
$130,000
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$0
[*]
Years in school:
6
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7
after high school graduation
Job outlook:
Excellent
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