How much schooling is a nurse anesthetist

The thought of undergoing a surgical operation is frightening on its own, but imagine undergoing surgery without any anesthetic that ensures you do not feel any pain. In the past, surgeons performed surgical procedures on patients with little or no pain relief medication given beforehand.  Fortunately, nowadays thanks to professionals, such as nurse anesthetists, the experience is ensured to be pain-free for all patients.

If you are interested in pursuing a career focused in ensuring pain-free procedures in patients undergoing surgeries, continue reading about how to become a nurse anesthetist and the education, skills, and other qualifications needed.

What Is a Nurse Anesthetist?

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is a term used to refer to an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed as an independent practitioner and authorized to plan and deliver anesthesia. You can find such nurses working in hospitals, surgical centers, nonoperating room anesthetizing locations, or in-office settings, collaborating with other healthcare professionals to provide care to the patients.

Nurse anesthetist job responsibilities

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are present in all stages of a patient's hospitalization. In consultation with other healthcare professionals, they provide care before the operation that requires anesthesia, during and after the procedure.

Pre-procedure responsibilities

Before the operation, nurse anesthetists help provide education and counseling to the patient and their families regarding the procedure. They also perform a variety of examinations in order to understand the patient's current health condition and develop a thorough plan for anesthesia—ways to manage the pain and recovery process afterward. Moreover, they also prescribe pre-anesthetic medications to reduce the required dose of anesthetic agent and improve the patient's post-procedure comfort.

Responsibilities during the procedure

During the operation stage, nurse anesthetists select, prescribe, and then administer anesthetic medication to implement general, regional, or local anesthesia, sedation, in order to manage the pain of patients. They are responsible for ensuring the medication will keep the patient pain-free during the operation stage and for monitoring the patient's biological function, such as arterial lines, bispectral index monitoring, central venous access, and so on, in case there is any negative reaction.

Post-procedure responsibilities

At this stage, nurse anesthetists are responsible for helping the patients recover from anesthesia by prescribing and administering postanesthetic medication. They also must assess the patient's condition after anesthesia, educate them on the steps towards recovery, and help discharge them from the care facility once it is time.

It takes time, effort, proper education, skills, and a range of qualifications to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. If you are interested in pursuing this nursing field, read on to learn all about how to become a CRNA, the required nurse anesthetist education, qualifications, and other necessary elements.

Nurse anesthetist schooling

A nurse's education is essential for ensuring they are well equipped to provide high-quality care to their patients. On your way towards becoming a nurse anesthetist, you are required to have a registered nurse (RN) license, a master's degree from a nurse anesthesia educational program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program.

Although you can earn the RN license by completing an associate degree in nursing, for the position of a CRNA, you must have the previously mentioned master's degree. Therefore, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing must be a priority.

Furthermore, there will be changes in nurse anesthetist schooling requirements in the following years. According to the Council on Accreditation (COA), by 2025, all CRNAs must have a Doctorate in Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) or a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) to enter the field.

Qualifications

In addition to the educational requirements mentioned above, to be qualified as a CRNA, you also need to have work experience as a nurse. Most CRNA positions require a minimum of one year of full-time work experience or the part-time equivalent to that one year as a registered nurse.

You can begin to gain work experience during the time you pursue your education degrees since most programs include hours of clinical experience as part of their practical nursing courses.

Finally, to officially be certified as a CRNA, you must successfully complete the National Certification Exam (NCE) administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). The exam is used to measure your knowledge, skills, and overall abilities needed to start practicing as a CRNA.

Skills

To be a CRNA, you must possess academic, ethical, physical, and emotional skills that ensure your thorough understanding of the responsibilities you have and how to carry them out successfully. 

First and foremost, you must have a deep knowledge of healthcare, including intellectual skills related to measurement, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. While practicing your profession, you should be able to monitor the patients' state accurately by referring to the results of their tests. Furthermore, it is essential for you to be skilled in working with the equipment needed for the patient's treatment before, during, and after receiving anesthesia care.

Soft skills are another crucial element to ensure you are the right person for the job as a CRNA. You must be able to communicate effectively with the other healthcare professionals, the patients, and even their families. Moreover, skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, patience, empathy, a strong work ethic, and multi-tasking are highly required if you are seeking a role as a CRNA.

Becoming a Nurse Anesthetist: Timeframe

As you have seen from the numerous qualifications we have mentioned, to become a CRNA, you must go through a series of stages which, on average, altogether will take around ten years. Let's break it down: 

• A BSN degree typically takes four years to complete.

• An MSN degree takes approximately two years.

• A DNAP degree, depending on whether it is on a full-time or part-time basis, can take one to four years to complete.

• A minimum of one year to gain the respective work experience in the field.

The exact timeframe can vary from one person to the other. Some might take their time to complete each degree, maybe even include some break years in between, whereas others might want to achieve the certification as soon as possible and go through the process intensively.

Nurse Anesthetist vs. Anesthesiologist

The main difference between a nurse anesthetist and an anesthesiologist is the fact that the first is a term to refer to a type of registered nurse that is certified to assist other healthcare professionals, such as doctors, in administering anesthesia. In contrast, anesthesiologists are doctors themselves, specialized in anesthesia care, pain management, and critical care medicine.

Although both professions are centered on patient care and anesthesia, their level of responsibility differs, with anesthesiologists leading the anesthesia care team, including CRNAs.

CRNA Job Prospects

Currently, the demand for CRNAs is higher than ever. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected growth of nurse anesthetists is much faster than the average for other occupations. Their reports show that the overall employment of CRNAs, and nurse practitioners in general, is expected to grow 45% from 2020 to 2030.

When considering the worldwide battles with COVID-19, its variants, and many other health struggles in recent years, it is of no surprise that healthcare centers and professions are expected to see the most significant job growth in the following years.

CRNA Salary

The average salary for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in the United States is $181,557 per year. The lowest salary, belonging to entry-level nurse anesthetists, is around $131,813 per year, whereas experienced professionals can earn up to $250,073 per year.

Conclusion

If you are determined and passionate about becoming one of the magicians behind freedom from pain, then follow the guide we have provided on how to become a nurse anesthetist. The world could always benefit more from people who dedicate their careers to helping others.