By: Matthew Addleman

Imagine way back in the Civil War days when doctors performed surgeries without any medication or anesthesia. The patients were wide awake and they were given a rag to bite on because of how painful the procedures were without pain medication.  Now we have nurse anesthetists to put the patient to sleep so that they don’t feel a thing.  I chose this career because nurse anesthetists are required to protect people’s lives every day.  Certified registered nurse anesthetists also get paid very well and receive great benefits.  This is a hands on job and there is not very much time spent sitting behind a desk.  This job requires many skills and many abilities that I believe I possess.  My sister works full time as a certified nurse and she really likes the environment of the hospital and I think I would enjoy it too.  I am very enthusiastic about this job and think it would make a great career for me in the future.

Description

       Nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia before, during, and after procedures.  They also give medicine to manage pain.  Before a procedure, a nurse anesthetist talks to the patient to find out if the patient is allergic to any medicine or cannot receive certain medication for health reasons.  They then provide a general anesthesia to the patient to put them to sleep so they feel no pain during the procedure.  Nurse anesthetists also give regional or local anesthesia to make certain parts of the body numb.  They then have to stay with the patient to monitor vitals and adjust anesthesia according to how the patient is responding (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).

Duties and Responsibilities

       Nurse anesthetists have many duties and responsibilities.  They are required to review their patients’ medical history and see how to safely administer anesthesia to their patients.  They need to know several different regional anesthesia and sedation techniques.  They have to measure the correct amount and the correct speed to administer the anesthesia.  They must ensure that the patient’s airway stays cleared.  They are required to monitor the patient’s vital signs throughout the whole process of the procedure.  They have to tell the surgeon if a patient becomes unstable.  After the surgery they have to make sure the patient recovers properly from anesthesia and make sure they get discharged properly (Villanovau.com, 2017) (Position Description for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (sample), 2017).

Educational Requirements

        To become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) one needs to have a bachelor’s or graduate’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree from a nurse anesthesia program and pass the national certification examination after graduation.  One also needs a Registered Nurse (RN) licensure, and one must have at least one year of full-time work, or its part-time equivalent of critical care experience somewhere in the U.S. or in the U.S. military hospital.  It is a lot easier to get a job if one goes to a school with a good reputation for nurse anesthetist programs (Become a CRNA, 2017) (Education of Nurse Anesthetists in the United States - At a Glance, 2017).

Skills and Abilities

CRNA’s have to be able to think critically under stressful situations and find alternative solutions using complex problem solving.  They need to be able to learn new information and new technology as it is introduced to the medical field.  They must be a very good listener and be able to effectively convey information to other nurses, doctors, or patients.  They must always be looking for ways to assist other people, not just patients but nurses and doctors too.  They need to have very good judgment and decision making abilities and consider all aspects of possible actions and pick the best one for the particular situation.  They must be good at reading all kinds of dials and gauges and monitoring machines to ensure that they are all running correctly.  They must be skilled at directing people and choosing the best people for different jobs that require certain skills.  They need to be skilled in system analysis and understand how adjustments to a machine affects the patients.  Finally they should be good at persuading people, negotiating with people on a professional level, and troubleshooting equipment in the hospital (Nurse Anesthetist Career, 2017).

Job Availability and Longevity

        As of 2014 there were 38,200 jobs for nurse anesthetist and in 2024 there is supposed to be 45,600 jobs available.  This is about a 19% increase in 10 years.  In Pennsylvania there is an estimated 2,210 jobs for nurse anesthetists.  This job should be around forever considering that people will always need to have surgery and they will always need medication to be put to sleep and to numb certain areas of the body or just for pain management (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).

Experience

        The only experience needed to become a CRNA is working in a clinical setting such as an intensive care unit (ICU), critical care unit (CCU), or emergency room (ER) for a minimum of one year of full time or the full time equivalent in part time work somewhere in the U.S. territories or even overseas for a military hospital.  After working for a year as an RN one needs to go back to school to become a CRNA (How do I become a Nurse Anesthetist, 2017).

Income Potential

        Most starting salaries for CRNA’s around PA is around $160,000 a year.  The median is around $170,000 a year and the highest is around $195,000 a year.  Salaries may vary a lot depending on the state or even city one works in (Certified Nurse Anesthetist Salaries in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

Conclusion

       Now, thanks to nurse anesthetists, people who need procedures don’t have to bite down on a rag because of the pain from the surgeries.  In fact, the patients don’t feel hardly any of the procedure because of numbing medication and anesthesia and if they are put to sleep during surgery they don’t feel anything at all.  Nurse anesthetist’s help people every day and sometimes may even save someone’s life.  Becoming a nurse anesthetist would be very fulfilling and mean a lot if I were able to become a one.