Applicants to nurse anesthesia educational programs are required to have:

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing or another appropriate baccalaureate degree from an approved nursing program

A current license as a registered nurse

A minimum of one year’s acute care nursing experience

Nurse anesthesia education programs vary from 24 to 36 months of graduate coursework

depending on the university. The program includes both classroom and clinical experiences.

Graduates of nurse anesthesia educational programs must pass a national certification exam to become CRNAs.

CRNAs are required to earn 40 continuing education credits every two years as one of the criteria for recertification.

Reflecting the level of responsibility, CRNAs are one of the best paid nursing specialties.

The reported average annual salary in 2001 was approximately $113,000, with an average low of $90,000 and average high of $170,000.

CRNAs are in demand and therefore, have many opportunities for general or specialty practice throughout the U.S.

Nurse anesthetists, pioneers in anesthesia, have been administering anesthesia for more than 100 years. As anesthesia specialists, CRNAs take care of patients before, during and after surgical or obstetrical procedures. The nurse anesthetist monitors every function of the body and individually modifies anesthesia to ensure maximum safety and comfort.

As anesthesia specialists, CRNAs administer approximately 65% of the anesthesia given to patients in the U.S. each year and are the sole anesthesia providers in more than 70% of rural hospitals in the United States. As advanced practice nurses, CRNA’s can serve in a variety of capacities in their daily practice, such as clinician, educator, administrator, manager and researcher.

CRNAs administer anesthesia for all types of surgical cases , using all anesthetic techniques and practice in every setting which anesthesia is delivered, from university-based medical centers to free-standing surgical facilities.

Ability to work under pressure

Team player

Communication skills