Your Ultimate Guide to the Specialization as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

After obtaining their qualification, Registered Nurses (RNs) are free to pick their career path. There are numerous nursing specializations available, each with its own set of duties, workplaces, benefits, and chances for specific professional growth. There are variations in the educational, training, and certification requirements for the specializations. 

A job as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) may be the best option for nurses who value pay or are enthusiastic about the crucial part of anesthesia care.

The CRNA salary and significant role in the healthcare system make it a career you may consider as an RN. This article discusses what nurse anesthesia is, where they can work, why becoming one is necessary, and how to begin a career in this area.

What is a CRNA?

Advanced practice registered nurses with a focus on providing anesthesia and other alleviating medications to patients in various medical settings such as surgery, childbirth, trauma support and therapy, foot care, dentistry, and terminal care are known as certified registered nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs for short. 

In remote locations and among the armed forces, they are the fundamental anesthetic providers. CRNAs are crucial in acute care settings because they ensure patients getting surgery and other procedures get the attention and guidance they need for a safe process.

Compared to other nurses, CRNAs have a highly specialized daily job to prepare patients for a specific surgical procedure while monitoring them during and after the process. Depending on the sort of anesthesia a CRNA wants to specialize in and the medical environment they operate, their patient population can change.

CRNAs may collaborate with surgeons and other medical professionals, intensive care nurses, anesthesia specialists, dental professionals, foot doctors, and medical assistants, depending on their workplace. 

CRNAs may have greater autonomy in the environments they can work, especially in places where they are permitted to practice without the need for medical supervision. CRNAs can provide clinical patient care while participating in academic teaching and staff training.

Where Can a CRNA Work?

As members of an anesthesia team, nurse anesthetists often collaborate with surgeons, anesthesia professionals, and other medical specialists at hospitals and surgical centers. In addition, they work in hospitals, clinics, and military installations, sometimes serving as the team leader for anesthesia.

They could be the only anesthesiologist in underdeveloped settings like rural hospitals. The scope of practice for nurse anesthetists is regulated differently by each state, with differences including whether or not they are required to function under a doctor’s supervision or have complete professional independence. 

Many CRNAs operate autonomously and have a private practice, relying on state law.

Why Should You Become an Anesthetist

Being a CRNA can be an academically demanding career that calls for intelligence and critical thinking. Being a nurse anesthetist requires time and commitment, but the work can pay off in spades. Not only do many CRNAs earn the highest income among advanced practice registered nurses (ARPNs), but they also work autonomously.

Positivity in the workplace and contentment in personal and professional spheres are additional advantages of being a CRNA.

Becoming a Certified Nurse Anesthetist

Expertise in acute clinical or surgical settings is a prerequisite for becoming a nurse anesthetist. You must also meet the requirements, obtain a license, and sustain your certification through relicensing and continued education. Here are some things to anticipate while pursuing a career as a nurse anesthetist.

Get the Appropriate Credentials

A doctorate and certification are prerequisites for working as a nurse anesthetist. The requirements for CRNAs have evolved from the former master’s degree, which was the only prerequisite in the field. New requirements for nurse anesthetists will include holding a PhD starting in 2025. Present nursing anesthesia program providers were required to modify their curricula.

You are an APRN in the role of nurse anesthetist. You will finish a Doctor of Nursing Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program after graduating from college and starting your career as a registered nurse. These two doctorate degrees are accepted for use in CRNA practice. Usually, a doctorate program takes three years to complete.

Before pursuing advanced nursing education, you must obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing. If you have the necessary clinical experience, several doctorate programs in nurse anesthesia will admit you even if you have finished an associate’s degree in nursing or an advanced degree in a related field. 

To gain admission to most doctoral studies, you need to have worked in critical care for a minimum of one year.

Get Certification

RNs must apply for and pass a national certification exam given by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) after obtaining their doctorate in nurse anesthesia. 

You have to retake the Continued Professional Certification Exam every four years after completing it the first time and earning your certification. 

To work as a nurse anesthetist, one must be certified in every state. To work in your home region, you should further investigate and complete state-specific certification requirements.

Gain Experience

You must perform clinical practice or an internship to practice as a CRNA. It will involve you working with a professional CRNA to obtain practical knowledge and experience. Most programs assist in matching you with a clinical practice or internship.

Apart from engaging in supervised anesthetic practice, you will also have the opportunity to work in specialized fields such as pediatrics or heart care. You must finish at least 2,000 practicum hours throughout a minimum of two years to practice as a CRNA independently.

Starting Your Career as a Nurse Anesthetist

The highest-rewarded nurses in the profession are nurse anesthetists, although it can be demanding. A nurse anesthetist must complete years of coursework and clinical training.

Obtaining the credentials and certifications required to work as a CRNA will take a considerable length of time in school. A doctorate also entails a significant financial commitment, which deters many potential candidates. 

Your efforts will, however, be rewarded if you’re prepared to invest time and money into becoming a nurse anesthetist. For people who enjoy managing the daily affairs of their patients and who perform well under duress, being a CRNA can be a highly fulfilling career. You don’t want to waste more time to begin this career path.