Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Jobs

The thriving field of nursing continues to provide extensive opportunities for candidates in a broad range of nursing specialties. In particular, the nursing shortage has created a high demand for advanced practice nurses, including clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs).

Among the requirements to becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist, students must complete the following:

• 24 to 36 months of graduate training
• Have experience working as a registered nurse in acute care
• Receive a passing score on a national certification exam

The AANA describes that approximately eight certified nurse anesthetists can be educated for around the same cost as one anesthesiologist. In other words, because they possess such a high level of skills and expertise and they come in a higher supply and at a lower cost, employers find certified registered nurse anesthetists a cost-effective alternative to anesthesiologists. Hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities looking to keep their bottom lines intact often turn to CRNAs as a means for keeping costs down and quality of care high.

Certified registered nurse anesthetists work in private practice and public facilities:

• Hospital emergency and operating rooms
• Ambulatory care
• Dental offices
• Health clinics

They typically provide anesthesia services in a wide range of surgical settings and in the delivery of a baby. In particular, in rural areas of the country and inner cities, job demand remains strong for certified registered nurse anesthetists. And the rewards for CRNAs fit the challenges and requirements of the job. Salary.com finds that the median salary for certified nurse anesthetists in the U.S. stands at $156,610—one of the top clinical nursing salary rates in the market.

To help CRNAs locate the right job for them, the AANA provides a job bank for its members. Certified nurse anesthetists who belong to the AANA can search job openings, post a résumé and find support job placement services. Similarly, CRNAJobs.com offers a site listing jobs available through health care facilities and recruiting agencies, as well as links to stories on the latest industry news for certified nurse anesthetists.

_{Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010
AANA, 2010
NurseWeek.com, 2010
Salary.com, 2011
CRNAJobs.com, 2011}