A nurse
anesthetist is a nurse who specializes in the
administration of anesthesia.
Education
In the United States a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has acquiredgraduat level education and board certification in anesthesia. The American Associateion of Nurse Anesthetists' (AANA) is the national association in the United States.
In the USA, Nurse anesthetists must first complete a bachelor's degree in a science related field or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. They must be a licensed registered nurse. In addition, candidates are required to have a minimum of one year of full-time nursing experience in an acute care setting, such as medical intensive care unit or surgical intensive care unit. Following the acute care experience, applicants apply to a Council on Accreditation (COA) accredited program of nurse-anesthesia. Education is offered on a masters degree or doctoral degree. Program length varies from 24 to 36 months. Many programs require entrance prerequisites similar to medical schools (pre-med courses) and up to two years of acute care experience. The didactic curricula of nurse-anesthesia programs are governed by the Council on Accreditation (COA) standards and provide students the scientific, clinical, and professional foundation upon which to build sound and safe clinical practice. Clinical residencies afford supervised experiences for students during which time they are able to learn anesthesia techniques, test theory, and apply knowledge to clinical problems. Students gain experience with patients of all ages who require medical, surgical, obstetrical, dental, and pediatric interventions. In addition, many require study in methods of scientific inquiry and statistics, as well as active participation in student-generated and faculty-sponsored research.
Board certification
The certification and recertification process is governed by the National Board on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). The NBCRNA exist as an autonomous not-for-profit incorporated organization so as to prevent any conflict of interest with the AANA. This provides assurance to the public that CRNA candidates have met unbiased certification requirements that have exceeded benchmark qualifications and knowledge of anesthesia. CRNAs also have continuing education requirements and recertification every two years thereafter, plus any additional requirements of the state in which they practice.
