What are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)?
Nurse anesthesia is an advanced clinical nursing specialty. As anesthesia specialists, CRNAs administer approximately 30 million anesthetics to patients in the United States each year. How Does a Nurse become a CRNA? A nurse attends an accredited nurse anesthesia education program to receive an extensive education in anesthesia. Upon graduation, the nurse must pass a national certification exam to become a CRNA. What does a Nurse Anesthesia Education Program Include? A program will include 24 to 36 months of graduate course work including both classroom and clinical experience with: • The classroom curriculum emphasizing anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics and pharmacology as related to anesthesia. • The major clinical component providing experience with a variety of anesthesia techniques and procedures for all types of surgery and obstetrics. All nurse anesthesia education programs offer a master’s degree. Depending on the particular program, the deg
