What are the qualifications required to be employed as a nurse anesthetist? What are practice settings they work on? What opportunities does this career offer? Ever since I became interested in the field of nursing, I researched the qualifications in order to be a nurse anesthetist. “A registered nurse (RN) preparation with Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist certification is required; Master of Science in Nursing is preferred. To enter a nurse anesthetist program, one must possess an active RN license and a baccalaureate degree (may or may not be in nursing).
The person must also fulfill certain prerequisites before applying, which vary according to institution. The applicant must also possess a minimum of 1 year of critical care experience as an RN. ” (Stabler 64) The core competencies/skills needed are assessment skills and a constant awareness of what is going on at all times because one simple mistake can cause a disaster in someone else’s’ life. Skills in history taking and physical means that a nurse must actively keep a patients’ chart updated with medications and any issues that comes up.
A nurse anesthetist must also be educated on patient education skills, and be able to understand certain cues of a patients’ symptoms. Ability to recognize and take appropriate corrective action (including consulting with anesthesiologist) for abnormal patient responses is also an important requirement, along with excellent observation skills. Ability to provide resuscitative care until the patient has regained control of vital functions, and also skill in administering spinal, epidural, auxiliary, and field blocks.
“Nurse Anesthetists are responsible for inducing anesthesia, maintaining it at the required levels, and supporting life functions while anesthesia is being administered. Nurse Anesthetists administer all types of anesthesia and may perform general, local, and regional anesthesia procedures to pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients, using invasive monitoring techniques when necessary. ” (Fitzpatrick 105). These nurses practice as part of a highly skilled interdisciplinary team. A variety of practice settings exist including: Emergency rooms Operating rooms Physicians’ offices Plastic surgery practices Dental practices.
Orthopedic practices CRNAs need to possess excellent decision-making skills and sound judgment. Even a small error can have dire consequences for the patient, so attention to detail is also critically important. CRNAs must be able to remain calm at all times, but especially during emergency situations. They need to find ways to manage their own stress and must be emotionally stable. Since CRNAs often work with the sick and dying, which can be emotionally wrenching, they must be able to remove themselves from the emotional pulls of their job when they leave work each day so that their personal lives remain intact.
Likewise, they must be able to leave their personal problems at home so that they can focus their attention on their patients’ problems. One of the most critical components in surgery is anesthesia, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists continue to play a pivotal role in its practice. And because of the autonomy, one-on-one patient care, and critical-thinking skills required, becoming a CRNA can lead to many exciting career paths. “While CRNAs administer more than 32 million anesthetics annually to patients, many people are unaware of the myriad of professional options available to them.
Wherever anesthesia is delivered, nurse anesthetists practice: traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; critical access hospitals; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and U. S. military, Public Health Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities. ” (Institute for Career 23) Many CRNAs are often amazed at the twists and turns their career paths take after becoming a nurse anesthetist, but for the anesthesia professionals here, they would not have it any other way.
Works Cited Fitzpatrick, Joyce J. , and Emerson E. Ea. 201 Careers In Nursing. New York, NY: Springer, 2012. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Institute for Career, Research. A Career As A Registered Nurse (RN) : Helping Others By Combining Science With Compassion. Chicago: Institute for Career Research, 2006. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Stabler-Haas, Susan. Fast Facts For The Student Nurse : Nursing Student Success In A Nutshell. New York: Springer Pub. Co, 2012. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 23 Oct. 2013.