Nurse Anesthetist

What is a Nurse Anesthetist?

The following job responsibilities are common for individuals in nurse anesthetist roles:

• Discuss medical histories and medications with patients before procedures
• Administer local anesthetics to numb areas where anesthetic needles will be inserted
• Monitor patient vital signs during treatment to ensure no issues exist
• Monitor patients while recovering from anesthetics after procedures to ensure proper recovery
• Perform both scheduled and emergency procedures

A Day in the Life

Nurse anesthetists are nurses who assist anesthesiologists with the administration of anesthesia before surgeries, childbirth, and invasive diagnostic procedures. They may assist anesthesiologists with administration of general anesthesia, or they may work also to administer less dangerous forms of anesthesia—like local anesthesia—to block pain during procedures. When a patient arrives for a procedure, the nurse anesthetist takes a medical history and collects a list of current prescriptions to ensure that the proper amount of medication is administered, and to avoid dangerous drug interactions.

After determining that it is safe to administer anesthetics to a patient, the nurse anesthetist begins preparing the patient for the procedure. He/she cleans the insertion area and administers a local anesthetic to eliminate pain from installation of an IV. The nurse anesthetist then inserts the needle that will be used during the procedure to administer anesthetics. He/she also explains the process to the patient, and helps the patient stay calm and relaxed by understanding exactly what’s going to happen.

During the procedure, nurse anesthetists monitor patient vitals to look for signs of issues. This could include excess sedation or ineffective sedation. They may recommend raising or lowering medication levels depending on the type of issue the patient’s vital signs point to. After the surgery, the nurse anesthetist monitors patient recovery. When the patient wakes up from treatment, the nurse anesthetist explains to the patient how to recover and delivers any prescriptions from the anesthesiologist.

Typical Work Schedule

Most nurse anesthetists or certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) work full-time with 40 – 50 working hours per week. Similar to other medical jobs, nurses work on rotating 8 – 10 hours shifts including evenings, weekends and holidays. They may also be called on emergencies if there are not enough nurses available to handle a certain emergency.

Projected Job Growth

There are currently 44,000 nurse anesthetists working in the United States registered in the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for nurse anesthetists is expected to increase by 14% from 2019 to 2029 which is much faster than the average for all other occupations. This growth is mainly attributed to an increase in the demand for healthcare services in general due to the increasingly aging US population. CRNA are qualified to perform many of the same duties as physicians explaining the high demand for this job. This profession will be increasingly used in team-based models of care, particularly in hospitals, offices of physicians, clinics, and other care settings, where they will be primarily needed. You should not find problems to get an adequate job in the field if you completed a degree from an accredited program and passed a national certification exam. Some positions may also require a master’s degree to be the minimum required education. Some nurses may also consider pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice or a PhD to have a better edge among the competition.

Career Progression

• Early Career: Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
• Mid-Career: Registered Nurse (RN)
• Late Career: Nurse Practitioner (NP), Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Nurse Midwife (CNM)

Typical Employers

The typical employers of nurse anesthetists include local or private hospitals. They may also work for offices of physicians of private practices as well as working with other health practitioners. In addition, some may consider working in educational institutions helping new doctors and physicians gain more experience. Some may work for different outpatient care centers when intervention is necessary or for organizations providing field medical services as the Red Cross.