If you’re reading this, you may be either a registered nurse or a student with the hopes of becoming a CRNA. If this is the case, you may have many questions about how to get there. For instance, do you need to go to medical school to become a nurse anesthetist?
The simple answer to this is no. A certified registered nurse anesthetist is a certification in nursing practice. This means that you need to be a nurse beforehand, not a doctor. However, there are quite a few steps before getting certified as a nurse anesthetist. Medical school is not one of them, though.
Depending on where you are at right now, the journey to CRNA may be a little long. But, if you know exactly what you need ahead of time, it will be as smooth as possible. Whether you are already a nurse or a student, this article is here to help you with that journey.
What Do You Need to Do to Become a CRNA?
You may already be a nurse who is looking for a direction to take your career or you may be a nursing student who has Nurse Anesthetist in their sights as a career option.
Either way, I’ll tell you about all the steps you need to take. I will be starting from the very beginning.
Before you can become a CRNA, you need to be a registered nurse. And to get there, you’ll need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree beforehand. This is a four-year degree.
1. Become a Registered Nurse. Once you have your BSN, you can take the next step to become an RN. You will have to write and pass the NCLEX-RN examination. This stands for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Once you have passed this exam, you can apply for your RN license. This is done based on your state. Each state has its fees and requirements associated with it. Depending on the state, the amount of time it’ll take from applying to getting your license may vary.
There is something important to note. The two-year Associate Degree in Nursing can be used to become a registered nurse. But to become a CRNA, you need a BSN.
2. Gain valuable experience. Once you have become a registered nurse you will need to have at least 1 year of Critical Care experience. Some programs now may require you to have 2 years. This can be an intensive care unit or an emergency room, for instance. One year is the official requirement, but some schools may have higher criteria. Be sure to check the programs you want to apply for and their requirements. Make sure you choose an accredited program.
3. Get a Master’s Degree of Science in Nurse Anesthesia. Once you have your required experience, you can apply for a master’s degree in a nurse anesthesia program. This is roughly a two-year program in most cases. It is very important to note that the requirements to become a CRNA will change by 2025. An MSN will no longer be the minimum requirement. Instead, you will need to have a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. This takes about a year longer than an MSN does to get.
4. Pass the National Certification Exam. To get the coveted CRNA credential, you will need to pass the NCE. The National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists organizes this. Once you conquer this, your state board receives the results. You need to follow a few more steps depending on your state. Once that’s done, you are a CRNA!
What Does a Nurse Anesthetist Do?
If you want to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, it is important to know the job well. It is a long road to becoming a CRNA, after all. You should get to know the job description and their function.. This will help you know for sure whether it is the path that you want to take.
Below are some of the duties of a CRNA
- They help develop an anesthetic plan. They can prepare anesthetic solutions or mixtures.
- They can administer a wide array of anesthetic techniques. This includes spinal and epidural anesthesia. They are also able to perform regional nerve blocks.
- They monitor the patient following surgery. This involves monitoring vital signs and watching for any complications that may arise.
- They have the appropriate skills for emergencies. This includes life support and trauma stabilization. They can also perform airway management, such as intubation.
- They can manage both acute and chronic pain.
What Are Important Considerations Before Becoming a Nurse Anesthetist?
Being a certified registered nurse anesthetist is a demanding job. This is in the physical, mental, and even emotional sense.
Working as a nurse anesthetist means that you will spend a lot of time standing and moving around. Lifting and moving a patient with the team is a major physical aspect of the work.
There can be a lot of stress when working in surgical or critical care scenarios. Night shifts will be frequent, and this can be a big adjustment. When emergencies arise, there is a lot of pressure and mental stress. Plus, there is the sad fact of being a medical professional: with enough years, you’ll deal with sad outcomes. This can take a huge emotional toll on a person who is not equipped for it.
Before you go begin the journey to become a nurse anesthetist, you need to examine yourself. Will you be able to keep going in such mentally tasking situations? After all, you won’t have the chance to take a break during an emergency. You need to be sure that you can soldier on, at least until you have averted the danger.
Becoming a CRNA is a long journey. To become a nurse anesthetist, you will need many degrees and exams for you to be certified. While you will not need medical school, this still takes a lot of dedication and hard work.
But if your goal is to become a CRNA, you will realize that it is all worth it in the end. It can be very fulfilling work, with a lot of prospects.