How to Become A Nurse Anesthetist

How to Become A Nurse Anesthetist
Source: Wikipedia
Nurse Anesthetist: A Quick Look
Median Salary $ 148,160 or $71.23 per hour
Entry-level Education Master’s Degree
On-the-job training None
Primary employers Hospitals and outpatient centers
Number of positions (U.S.) 35,200
Job Growth (2012-2022) 25% (Much faster than the national average)
New positions (2012-2022) 8,800

Nurse Anesthetist Description:

How to Become A Nurse Anesthetist
Source: Wikipedia

The nurse anesthetist job description giving patients anesthesia for a procedure and then monitoring the patient during and after the procedure is complete. They give patients anesthesia in various forms (general anesthesia, spinal, topical anesthesia, etc) for all different kinds of medical procedures. Another important part of the nurse anesthetist job description is finding out if the patient is on any medications or has any allergies to anesthesia. They also monitor patients’ vital signs throughout the procedure. You can discover more about the typical nurse anesthetist job description here.

Nurse Anesthetist Salary:

Data from the BLS indicates that the median annual nurse anesthetist salary for all nurse anesthetists as of 2012 was $ 148,160 or $71.23 per hour. The top 10 percent of nurse anesthetists earned an annual salary of more than $187,199. The lowest earning 10 percent of nurse anesthetists earned an annual salary of less than $107,240. The higher salaries tend to be reserved for individuals who have more work experience or have been nurse anesthetists for many years. Those who have worked the longest tend to have some of the highest salaries for nurse anesthetists. Learn more about the nurse anesthetist salary here.

How to Become a Nurse Anesthetist:

At this point you might wonder how to become a nurse anesthetist. To become a nurse anesthetist, you need a master’s degree from an accredited school that offers a certified registered nurse anesthetist program (CRNA). Prior to earning a master’s degree, an individual must have received a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). The master’s program takes 2 to 3 years to complete, and certification is necessary and ongoing. If you are interested, you can learn about how to become a nurse anesthetist here.

FIND LOCAL AND ONLINE NURSE ANESTHETIST SCHOOLS AVAILABLE TO YOU

Nurse Anesthetist Job Outlook:

According to BLS data, the nurse anesthetist outlook is projected to grown by 25% for nurse anesthetists between the years 2012 to 2022. That rate of growth is much faster than the average rate of growth for all other professions. By the year 2022, it is anticipated that there will be approximately 43,900 nurse anesthetists in the United States. The following guide will tell you all about the nurse anesthetist job outlook. You can read more here.

Nurse Anesthetist Salary:

The nurse anesthetist salary is very good. The average median annual salary is also very good when compared with the average median annual salary for all occupations ($34,750). The latest data calculated at a national level by the BLS, indicates that the median annual nurse anesthetist salary as of the year 2012 was $148,160 (or $71.23 per hour per hour). The median value is not the same as the value of the average salary. However, in some instances they may be close. The median value indicates the middle value of all the documented salaries for a nurse anesthetist salary in the United States. This means that half of all nurse anesthetists in the United States have earned a bit more than $148,160 per year, and the other half of these nurses earned somewhat less.
  • The top 10 percent of nurse anesthetists earned an annual salary of more than $187,199.
  • The lowest earning 10 percent of nurse anesthetists earned an annual salary of less than $107,240.
The nurse anesthetist salary may vary somewhat as a result of the following influencing factors: the amount of previous work experience they have, the number of years they have worked, and the geographical location in which they are employed.
  • Nurse anesthetists who work in New Hampshire, Nevada, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Wyoming tend to be the highest paid nuclear technicians.
  • The top paying state for na's is New Hampshire, with an average nurse anesthetist salary of $222,060
Nurse anesthetists who work in hospital settings (particularly specialty hospitals) tend to earn the highest salaries of na's. Those who work in physicians’ offices tend to have the lowest nurse anesthetists salary. The number of years an individual has worked as a nurse anesthetist also seems to have an impact on salary. Those with more experience tend to enjoy higher salaries than those just starting out. Those in the later stage of their career typically have the highest salaries.

How to Become a Nurse Anesthetist:

Do you want to learn how to become a nurse anesthetist? Of course you do. That’s probably why you’re here right now reading this guide! To become a nurse anesthetist, you must first earn a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN). Work experience is typically necessary or desired before you can begin a master’s degree program. Once you have gained experience, you then need to earn master’s degree from an accredited school that offers a certified registered nurse anesthetist program (CRNA). These programs take 2 to 3 years to complete. Classes typically include physiology, anatomy, scientific inquiry, and more. Program contents include classroom and clinical components. Students also gain supervised experience where they practice administering anesthesia. These professionals then begin to work with patients in a supervised, clinical setting. After students complete the CRNA program, they must take and pass a national certification exam. After that, they can begin working as nurse anesthetists. Continuing education must continue in order to maintain licensure. Every 2 years, these nurses must recertify in order to continue practicing. Some individuals who want to become na's earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Ph.D.

Nurse Anesthetist Job Description:

The nurse anesthetist job description includes assisting with nuclear production as well as nuclear research. A typical nurse anesthetist job description contains the following job responsibilities:
  • Obtain information regarding current medications and allergies to anesthesia from patients prior to sedation
  • Administer anesthesia prior to the start of medical procedures
  • Monitor patients’ vital signs throughout the procedure or surgery and adjust anesthesia as needed
  • Continue to monitor patients immediately after the procedure is over
Nurse anesthetists sedate patients for all kinds of procedures. These procedures may include labor and delivery of a baby, open heart surgery, and other diagnostic procedures. Na's are qualified to utilize the full range of anesthesia (from general anesthesia to local anesthesia). Na's may also provide pain management to patients who have ongoing issues with severe pain. Typically, anesthetists work in hospitals. Some of these nurses work in outpatient facilities or even in the offices of plastic surgeons, oral surgeons, ophthalmologists, and podiatrists. These Nurses can work for the military or veteran’s services. This nursing job comes with a high level of pressure and stress. Nurse anesthetists are responsible for administering the precise amount of anesthesia. If they administer too much, a patient could die. If they administer too little, a patient could feel pain during a procedure. These Nurses may sometimes be required to make life or death decisions in a brief period of time. They must be able to handle intense pressure and make informed decisions with little time for contemplation. In regards to physical demand, anesthetists spend many hours of their work day standing. Na's may be exposed to infectious diseases and potentially harmful medications. They typically work full-time, 40 hours per week during regular work hours. However, they may occasionally need to work long hours in order to sedate patients for lengthy surgeries. On occasion, they may need to work nights, weekends, or on holidays. In some instances, nurse anesthetists may need to be on call. There are certain skills that are beneficial for nurse anesthetists to possess. These skills include strong communication and interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills, compassion and empathy, oriented to details, strong leadership skills, and resourcefulness. Nurse anesthetists who obtain doctoral degrees may go on to teach or conduct independent research or research on a team with other professionals in the medical field. Other nurses may opt to take on supervisory positions should the opportunity present itself.

Nurse Anesthetist Job Outlook:

The nurse anesthetist job outlook is projected to grow by about 25% between the years 2012 through 2022. This is much faster than the average growth of all other positions. During the year 2012, there were approximately 35,200 employed nurse anesthetists working in the United States. It is expected that there will be around 43,900 positions for na's by the year 2022. It is anticipated that there will be excellent job prospects for these nurses for years to come. The growth is expected to result from a higher demand for medical and health care services. New healthcare coverage for individuals and families as well as the large aging baby boomer population will ensure job stability and an increasing number of positions for these nurses. The increasing number of chronic diseases that will require ongoing care will also ensure a high demand for these professionals. Na's will continually be allowed to complete more medical care services independently for patients. This will also increase the demand for their services. Over the next decade, there should be many job prospects for nurse anesthetists. The high demand for medical care services will surely result in an increased number of na positions.

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