What are some education requirements to become a nurse anesthetist?

: What are the education requirements to become a nurse anesthetist?
I am interested in pursuing a career in nursing and possibly aspiring to nurse anesthetist and was wondering what the education requirements are. How does it compare with an actual anesthesiologist? Salary, education, etc..

Answers and Views:

Answer by jane
Anesthesiologist are medical doctors who go back to school for 2 more years.
A nurse anesthetist is a nurse practitioner who specializes in “sedation” for procedures and practices under the license of a doctor. So you go through the regular nursing program and get your associates degree. Then you go back to school to get your masters degree and that is what it takes to be a public health nurse. Then you go back to school that is a program for nurse practitioner that can diagnose, suture lacerations, write prescriptions, etc.

Answer by CoachT
A nurse anesthetist is an advanced practice nurse (APN) which will require (for now) a Master of Science in Nursing specializing in a nurse anesthetist program, passing a series of exams, and some clinicals. Most APN programs will require that you first have some nursing experience and all will require that you already hold an RN.

APN programs take 2-3 years full-time but very many nurses do not complete their program full time. Sine they are already licensed as an RN just to be admitted, they tend to work as a nurse while going to school. It’s not required though – you can attend full time and concentrate on the program if you want to.

The RN nurse anesthetist is generally the highest paid of the RN specialties. Earning easily top $ 120K and many earn much more.

The earnings of an MD anesthesiologist are generally much higher and have no real limits. It is entirely based on how much work the physician wishes to engage in and most have more than they can do – which is why they hire a nurse anesthetist. There is no real comparison for earnings there because the anesthesiologist is the employer and supervisor of the nurse anesthetists – of course he/she earns considerably more.

Answer by Pangolin
CRNA: BSN, a year of critical care nursing experience, Master’s program in nurse anesthesia. Total time (excluding cc experience): 6 1/2 years.

Anesthesiologist: Bachelor’s degree, Medical school, Anesthesia residency. Total time: 12 years.

A fully trained CRNA has less clinical experience than a first year anesthesia resident, and does not have the educational background to even apply to medical school. However, many of them think they are equivalent to us. The good ones know their limitations, and work well as part of a care team. The cocky ones think they know it all, and call us when things have really gone downhill.

Salaries are high for CRNAs, but about half that of an anesthesiologist. The doctor has the ultimate responsibility in the case, and assumes the risk for what the CRNA does, and that’s one reason that the pay is higher. We also have significantly more training and experience, and can do more than most CRNAs (especially with regard to regional techniques).

It’s a good profession for nurses, as long as you have good attention to detail, and can work as part of a team. I prefer to do my own cases, because, although there are plenty of very good CRNA’s that I wold trust my life to, there are also some that are downright scary. And, I love giving anesthesia. It’s more fun to actually do it.

If you have what it takes to be a physician, go that route. You won’t be happy as a nurse. If you don’t want to put the time and commitment into becoming a doctor, then nursing is also a fine choice. We need good nurses.