CRNA Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists receive extensive nursing training beyond the bachelor’s degree so that they can administer an anesthesia effectively. CRNAs (Nurse Anesthetists) provide a variety of medical care for their patients.
Those
CRNA Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists receive extensive nursing training beyond the bachelor’s degree so that they can administer an anesthesia effectively. CRNAs (Nurse Anesthetists) provide a variety of medical care for their patients.
Those who receive the credentials to become Advanced Practice Nurses have the power to perform many more medical tasks for their patients. At times, it is necessary to administer anesthetics to patients to prepare them for surgery and invasive medical procedures. Administering anesthesia is not something that any nursing professional is authorized to perform because it requires a high level of skill and precision.
This article will provide a comprehensive overview on this profession. If you would like to learn more, visit our CRNA Information section.
The History of CRNA Nurse Anesthetist Nursing
Nurse Anesthetists have been around for approximately 150 years. This form of nursing is one of the oldest nursing specialties in the United States. The first administration of anesthesia was reported as early as 1861 during the American Civil War. Catherine S. Lawrence was one of the first American nurses to provide anesthesia during this time although a Catholic nun named Sister Mary Bernard was the first official person recognized as a nurse anesthetist in 1877.
In 1909, the first Nurse Anesthesia School opened in Oregon at St. Vincent Hospital. Agnes McGee created the first courses, and the program consisted of a six-month course selection. Within a few decades, 18 additional schools were created. These schools were all post-graduate training programs that lasted approximately six months. A few of the programs included Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Mayo Clinic, New York Post-Graduate Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Grace Hospital in Detroit, and Barnes Hospital.
CRNAs Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists received diplomas, certificates, and bachelor’s degrees before 1976 when the Council on Accreditation created degree requirements. Guidelines for a master’s degree were created by the Council on Accreditation in 1981. In 1982, the official requirements to become a Nurse Anesthetist were that registered nurses attend a bachelor’s program before attending a master’s degree program to become a CRNA. In 1990, all programs that consisted of certificate, bachelors, and diploma programs were required to change to masters program in order to offer anesthesia programs.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has taken measures to move the entry-level training of a Nurse Anesthetists from a master’s degree to the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a mandatory implementation in the United States by 2015. The AANA followed with an announcement in 2007 supporting the implementing of the same requirements but by the year 2025. Because of the grandfather clause, those currently working as Nurse Anesthetists will not be affected by the changes. The length of schooling that nurses will have to complete will likely exceed 36 months.
What is a Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)?
CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) are professional nurses that specialized in anesthesia administration. These Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are board certified and have received a graduate level education in anesthesia. There are nearly 40,000 Nurse Anesthetists currently working in the United States. The national association known as The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) represents over 92% of these individuals.
CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist) is a registered nurses that receive their certification in anesthesiology. They oversee anesthesia administration in medical procedures that require sedation of a patient. Nurse Anesthetists work under the close supervision of board-certified anesthesiologists. The Nurse Anesthetists monitor continuous sedation administration after the certified anesthesiologist induces the sedation.
CRNAs receive special training to administer anesthetics to their patients who undergo dental, medical, and obstetrical procedures. They are part of the medical facility’s surgical team, and they play a vital role in anesthesia procedures. The attending anesthesiologist, surgeon, or dentist provides the CRNAs with direction during the procedures.
A few of the many responsibilities of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists include overlooking and interpreting tests before surgery to determine the effect the anesthetic will have on a patient, preparing the necessary equipment and supplies for the upcoming procedures, assuring that an ample blood supply in available in case of emergency. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists can provide the patient with the prescribed amount of anesthesia, and they are responsible for monitoring the vital signs of t