Written by Coursera • Updated on Nov 10, 2022 Show
Read this guide to discover nurse anesthetist schooling requirements, how nurse anesthetist programs at the doctoral level are changing, nurse anesthetist salary, and how you can become a CRNA.  Nurse anesthetists are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who administer anesthesia to patients before, during, and after surgical procedures. Typically employed in a variety of health care environments, such as hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and private practice offices, nurse anesthetists work alongside nurses, surgeons, and physicians to ensure their patients receive the best care possible. If you're interested in a high-paying, high-growth nursing position, then you might consider a career as a nurse anesthetist. In this article, you'll learn more about what nurse anesthetists do, how much they earn, and their job outlook in the coming years. You'll also find out what you need to do to join the field and explore some cost-effective, online courses that will introduce you to some of the key concepts you'll need to excel in the job. Nurse anesthetists explainedNurse anesthetists administer anesthesia to patients, monitor their vital signs, and help them manage their pain and post-surgery recovery. As registered nurses (RNs) with advanced training in administering anesthesia, nurse anesthetists must possess either a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Doctor of Nursing Anesthetics Practice (DNAP) alongside certification from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetics (NBCRNA). As a result, nurse anesthetists are highly-skilled medical professionals who are tasked with many important responsibilities, command a significantly higher than average salary, and are much sought after within the medical field. What does a nurse anesthetist do?A nurse anesthetist performs their duties in three stages: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative. Before surgery, you'll need to assess the patient's medical history and current condition to determine if any factors may pose complications with the anesthesia. Throughout the surgical process and after, you’ll also be responsible for:
Kelli Sullivan, lecturer in the Division of Anatomical Sciences at the University of Michigan, discusses the central and peripheral nervous systems. Nurse anesthetist skillsAs a nurse anesthetist, you must be professional, think critically, communicate well, and possess technical nursing skills. During both your schooling and career, you’ll develop an advanced skill set to use specialized equipment and make complex decisions that have a critical impact on a patient's health outcome. Here are some of the core competencies you'll need as a nurse anesthetist: Critical thinking: You need to be able to make quick decisions based on patient observations and test results. Attention to detail: You need to interpret data, such as a patient's vital signs, and adjust accordingly. You also need good technical knowledge when administering precise doses of anesthesia and other medicines. Interpersonal skills: You must work well with others on the health care team, including doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Communication skills: You need to be able to explain what you're doing as you administer anesthesia and provide updates about your patient's condition after surgery. Nursing skills: To offer safe, high-quality care as a nurse anesthetist, you must have excellent clinical skills, including physical assessment skills. You also need to keep up-to-date with best practices in the field of anesthesia and new developments in pain management. How much does a nurse anesthetist make?Nurse anesthetists earn a much higher than average salary. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for nurse anesthetists was $195,610 in May 2021. By comparison, the BLS notes that nurse practitioners made a median annual salary of $120,680 during the same period, while nurse midwives earned $112,830 [1]. Nurse anesthetist job outlookAdvanced practice registered nurses are in high demand. According to the US BLS, employment for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners is projected to grow by 40 percent between 2021 and 2031, resulting in approximately 30,200 new jobs added each year. This is a much faster rate than the projected average job growth in the United States during the same period, which the BLS puts at just five percent for all jobs across all industries [2]. Is being a nurse anesthetist a good career choice?Some benefits of being a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) include higher compensation within the nursing field, a positive job outlook, and both personal and professional satisfaction. While many professions within nursing dedicate themselves to helping patients get better, you’ll have the opportunity to help them literally feel better as they face some of their most trying health scares. Your job as an anesthetist is to ensure that patients do not feel pain throughout the surgical care cycle. While this may seem simple enough, it can be quite complicated because each person feels pain differently and has different drug tolerances. You must also know how to handle problems if they arise before, during, or after surgery. When deciding if being a nurse anesthetist is the right career choice for you, keep in mind that it entails working in high-stress environments with critically ill people who require life-saving care. You’ll be able to make a difference in people’s lives every day. Some of the benefits of becoming a nurse anesthetist include the following:
Depending upon your work type, you may work nights, weekends, and holidays, especially if you work in a facility that provides around-the-clock emergency treatment. Read more: Is Health Care a Good Career Path? Outlook, Jobs, and More How to become a nurse anesthetistTo become a nurse anesthetist, you need to have experience in acute medical or surgical settings, earn the right qualifications, become licensed, and then maintain your license with continuing education and relicensing efforts. Here's what you can expect to do on the path to joining this critical health care profession: 1. Obtain the right credentials.To become a nurse anesthetist, you must obtain a doctoral degree and certification. The landscape in the profession has changed, as CRNAs were previously only required to have a master’s degree. Beginning in 2025 new nurse anesthetists will be required to have earned a doctoral degree. Institutions currently offering programs in nursing anesthesia have had to adjust their curricula. As a nurse anesthetist, you are an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). After becoming a registered nurse and working in the profession, you will complete a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program or a Doctor of Nursing Anesthesia Practice (DNAP). These are the two doctoral qualifications approved by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). You’ll typically spend three years doing your doctoral degree. Usually, you'll also need a bachelor's degree in nursing before going to higher levels of education in nursing. Some doctoral nurse anesthetist programs will accept you if you have completed a graduate degree in another discipline or an associate degree in nursing, as long as you have the required clinical experience. Most doctoral programs require you to have at least one year of critical-care experience to gain admittance to a program. Read more: Your Guide to Nursing Degrees and Certifications 2. Get certified.After graduation, you will take the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) to become licensed as a registered nurse anesthetist. After passing and getting certified for the first time, you must take the Continued Professional Certification Exam every four years. All states require certification for you to call yourself a nurse anesthetist. 3. Gain work experience.After meeting the education and certification requirements, you can gain hands-on experience as a nurse under the supervision of a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). During this training period, you will learn to perform various anesthesia procedures. You should also become familiar with respiratory care equipment, drug effects, and patient monitoring techniques. Since nurse anesthetist careers require considerable education and training, it can take six to seven years to qualify and a minimum of one year of clinical experience. Getting startedBecoming a nurse anesthetist involves many years of education and clinical training. Rather than pushing things off, consider exploring key concepts related to the field by taking a cost-effective, online course through Coursera today. To help deepen your understanding of how vital signs and pain correlate within the body, you might consider taking the University of Pennsylvania's Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us course. The University of Michigan's Anatomy Specialization, meanwhile, will introduce you to the major organ systems, their functions, and how they relate to one another within the body. course Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling UsThe vital signs – heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, and pain – communicate important information about the physiological ... 4.8 (5,600 ratings) 310,643 already enrolled Average time: 1 month(s) Learn at your own pace Skills you'll build: Dolor Assessment, Metabolic Pathways, Vital Signs, Pain Management Written by Coursera • Updated on Nov 10, 2022 This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals. |
What do you need to become a nurse anesthetist
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