CRNA

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, or CRNA for short, are Registered Nurses who have continued their higher-level education to become experts in anesthesia medicine. A CRNA , under the guidance of a board certified anesthesiologist, is probably the one who is adjusting the controls during your surgery. They are experts in topical anesthesiology as well as the types of anesthesiology make you completely unconscious. Some of you may remember the unfortunate death of Michael Jackson when he was given propofol by his cardiologist in order to induce sleep. This drug is the type of anesthesia that a CRNA might administer, but is never appropriate outside of the operating room setting.

A CRNA’s is not a nurse practitioner, nor is a CRNA equivalent to a physician assistant. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners go to different types of programs to become experts in multiple fields, and CRNA’s are certified experts in one field of medicine: anesthesiology. The certifying body for CRNA’s is the American Academy of Nurse Anesthetists and the degree is a master level. Physician assistant programs and nurse practitioner programs last roughly 2 years, and a CRNA program is generally a couple of months longer than that. This is after they have become a Registered Nurse with a bachelor’s degree as well as having gained at least 1 year of experience in an acute care setting.

A CRNA generally is able to earn more than a physician assistant salary, and also a nurse practitioner salary. There are also two general types of employment for a CRNA: employed by a hospital, or contract employment by a CRNA group. Either route depends on the opportunities in the area, as well as the geographic location.