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Become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

Learn about the many opportunities for certified registered nurse anesthetists.

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What do Nurse Anesthetists do?


a nurse anesthetist career
CRNAs are one of the
highest paid nursing positions.

A Nurse Anesthetist, or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), is a licensed professional nurse who provides the same anesthesia services as an anesthesiologist (MD). After completing extensive education and training, CRNAs become nationally certified and may then practice in all 50 states.

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Working closely with other health care professionals such as surgeons, dentists, podiatrists and anesthesiologists, a CRNA takes care of a patient's anesthesia needs before, during and after surgery or the delivery of a baby by:


  • Performing a physical assessment
  • Participating in preoperative teaching
  • Preparing for anesthetic management
  • Administering anesthesia to keep the patient pain free
  • Maintaining anesthesia intraoperatively
  • Overseeing recovery from anesthesia
  • Following the patient's postoperative course from recovery room to patient care unit

Nurse Anesthetists stay with their patients for the entire procedure, constantly monitoring every important body function and individually modifying the anesthetic to ensure maximum safety and comfort. CRNAs administer approximately 65 percent of the 26 million anesthetics given to patients in the United States each year.

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How many Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are there?

More than 28,000 CRNAs are currently working to provide cost-effective, high-quality patient care in the United States.

What are the prerequisites for entering a Nurse Anesthesia program?

While individual programs may have additional requirements, the general entrance requirements for Nurse Anesthesia programs are the following:

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Do I need a master's degree to become a Nurse Anesthetist?

No. The master's degree is not a prerequisite for a Nurse Anesthesia education program. However, Nurse Anesthesia programs are themselves graduate programs, leading to Master's degrees. You can find the specific requirements for each school on their Web sites or in their application forms.

Where do Nurse Anesthetists work?

CRNAs practice in a variety of settings in the private and public sectors and in the US military, including traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgery centers, pain clinics, and physicians' offices. They practice alone, in groups and collaboratively. Some CRNAs have independent contracting arrangements with physicians or hospitals.

How long will it take to become a Nurse Anesthetist?

A typical graduate program will take 24 to 36 months to complete.

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What do Nurse Anesthesia majors study?

The nurse anesthesia classroom curriculum emphasizes anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics and pharmacology. The clinical component provides experience with a variety of anesthesia techniques and procedures for all types of surgery and obstetrics.

What is the average salary of a Nurse Anesthetist?

Reflecting the level of responsibility they assume on a daily basis, CRNAs are some of the best-paid nursing specialists currently working. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the reported average annual salary in 2008 was approximately $168,500.

Get a nursing salary overview for different nursing specialties and degrees.

Note: This Q&A has been developed in partnership with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. We are grateful for their assistance.

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