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Life As a Nurse Anesthetist

Nurse Anesthetist Definition Administer anesthesia, monitor patient’s vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.

Daily Life Of a Nurse Anesthetist

  • Select and prescribe post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
  • Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
  • Request anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments, or safety tests.
  • Discharge patients from post-anesthesia care.
  • Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.

Nurse Anesthetist Needed Skills

Nurse Anesthetists state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Other Nurse Anesthetist Job Titles

  • Chief Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Chief CRNA)
  • Associate Professor Program Director Nurse Anesthesia
  • Staff Nurse Anesthetist
  • Senior Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Senior CRNA)
  • Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)

Job Opportunities for Nurse Anesthetists

There were about 41,800 jobs for Nurse Anesthetist in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 16.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,800 new jobs for Nurse Anesthetist by 2026. The BLS estimates 2,800 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Nurse Anesthetist are Utah, California, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Hawaii, or District of Columbia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Nurse Anesthetist Make?

Nurse Anesthetists make between $116,820 and $208,000 a year.

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Nurse Anesthetists who work in Montana, California, or Wisconsin, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Nurse Anesthetists in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $161,780
Alaska $187,690
Arizona $144,670
Arkansas $186,970
California $212,210
Colorado $172,700
Connecticut $190,480
Delaware $187,860
Florida $177,390
Georgia $151,070
Hawaii $192,580
Idaho $143,270
Illinois $190,500
Indiana $156,580
Iowa $209,130
Kansas $159,600
Kentucky $172,780
Louisiana $159,370
Maine $170,300
Maryland $191,160
Massachusetts $191,320
Michigan $180,560
Minnesota $188,130
Mississippi $163,320
Missouri $159,080
Montana $246,370
Nebraska $189,030
Nevada $163,220
New Hampshire $171,800
New Jersey $189,150
New York $191,130
North Carolina $178,250
North Dakota $197,860
Ohio $174,380
Oklahoma $176,780
Oregon $205,730
Pennsylvania $171,250
South Carolina $164,480
South Dakota $188,360
Tennessee $150,880
Texas $158,510
Utah $161,300
Virginia $187,320
Washington $195,610
West Virginia $183,080
Wisconsin $204,820

What Tools do Nurse Anesthetists Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Nurse Anesthetists:

  • Microsoft Word
  • MEDITECH software
  • GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
  • Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
  • eClinicalWorks
  • e-MDs software
  • SOAPware EMR
  • Allscripts Professional EHR
  • ChartWare EMR
  • NextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMR
  • Cerner Millennium
  • SynaMed EMR
  • Texas Medical Software SpringCharts EMR
  • MicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMR
  • Medscribbler Enterprise
  • Amkai AmkaiCharts
  • StatCom Patient Flow Logistics Enterprise Suite
  • Skyscape AnesthesiaDrugs
  • AetherPalm InfusiCalc
  • Drug database software

Becoming a Nurse Anesthetist

Education needed to be a Nurse Anesthetist:

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What work experience do I need to become a Nurse Anesthetist?

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Nurse Anesthetists Sector

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Those who work as a Nurse Anesthetist sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Aleksahgabrielle via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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