What does a nurse anesthetist do?
A nurse anesthetist specializes in administering anesthesia to patients while under the supervision of physicians or an anesthesiologist. Their responsibilities mainly revolve around inspecting a patient's medical history to identify any diseases or allergy, assist by preparing them for the surgery, prepare anesthetics, determine the appropriate dosage, and discuss the extent of surgery, including any long or short-term side effects. Moreover, it is crucial to monitor a patient's vital signs while administering anesthetics to ensure that everything will go smoothly.
Nurse anesthetist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real nurse anesthetist resumes:
- Manage use of anesthesia machine and mechanical ventilation.
- Perform specialty cares in the ICU and maternity unit.
- Initiate the induction of anesthesia, intubation, and monitoring during the anesthesia.
- Provide full scope midwifery care in busy FQHC clinics, birth center and hospital; credential with CAMC
- Full scope midwifery care in a community hospital setting
- Respond to cardiac arrests and situations demanding emergency intubation.
- Evaluate patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses, taking appropriate corrective actions or requesting consultation if complications occur.
- Administer general, regional, and local anesthesia to patients undergoing surgery under the supervision of an anesthesiologist.
- Develop informational study guides and exams for peers in the PACU setting.
- Provide anesthesia for the surgical population and surgery center.
Nurse anesthetist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Nurse Anesthetists are proficient in Patients, CRNA, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Nurse Anesthetists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 22%
Administered general, regional, and local anesthesia to patients undergoing surgery under the supervision of an anesthesiologist.
- CRNA, 12%
Prepared correspondence to notify Physicians and CRNA's of credentialing documents and keep physicians CME logs updated.
- Patient Care, 8%
Implemented new organizational design to positively impact patient care delivery.
- Anesthesia Care, 7%
Monitored anesthesia care and local anesthesia monitoring.
- AANA, 4%
Serve as the AANA Student Wellness Committee representative for Drexel University, 2013-present.
- Informed Consent, 4%
Perform pre-op assessment and evaluation, design anesthetic plan, and obtain informed consent.
Common skills that a nurse anesthetist uses to do their job include "patients," "crna," and "patient care." You can find details on the most important nurse anesthetist responsibilities below.
Leadership skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a nurse anesthetist to have is leadership skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "aprns often work in positions of seniority." Nurse anesthetists often use leadership skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide leadership and management to civilian and military personnel within the department of nursing and preventive medicine/community health nursing. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform nurse anesthetist duties is communication skills. Nurse anesthetists responsibilities require that "advanced practice registered nurses have to be able to communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals to ensure the appropriate course of action." Nurse anesthetists also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "improved skills in trauma resuscitation and obstetrics -gained experience in critical decision making and communication with members of the or team"
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of nurse anesthetists is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday nurse anesthetist duties, as "aprns need to be thorough in providing treatments and medications that affect their patients’ health." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provide team oriented pre, peri, and post-operative anesthetic care to those receiving care at a level 2 trauma center. "
The three companies that hire the most nurse anesthetists are:
- Northwell Health28 nurse anesthetists jobs
- The MED21 nurse anesthetists jobs
- St Joseph Medical Group17 nurse anesthetists jobs
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Compare different nurse anesthetists
Nurse anesthetist vs. Clinical liaison
A clinical liaison's role is to promote health care and rehabilitation facilities to patients and their families. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach sales targets, reviewing patient cases, having an in-depth understanding of the facilities and potential patients, assisting clients in filling up paperwork, maintaining records and data of all transactions, and addressing inquiries and concerns. Furthermore, a clinical liaison may perform clerical tasks such as producing reports, answering calls and correspondence, and arranging meetings and appointments with clients. Should there be any issues, it is essential to report to the managers or supervisors promptly.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between nurse anesthetists and clinical liaison. For instance, nurse anesthetist responsibilities require skills such as "crna," "anesthesia care," "bls," and "acls." Whereas a clinical liaison is skilled in "home health," "rehabilitation," "social work," and "customer service." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Clinical liaisons really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $79,480. Comparatively, nurse anesthetists tend to make the most money in the non profits industry with an average salary of $192,650.clinical liaisons tend to reach lower levels of education than nurse anesthetists. In fact, clinical liaisons are 8.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Nurse anesthetist vs. Emergency department registered nurse
An emergency registered nurse is first in line for patients who need a response. These nurses are first to respond to emergency cases such as trauma, allergic reactions, and injuries. They assist doctors and other medical staff in emergency medical care. It is their responsibility to always provide high-quality standards for nursing. The skills they should possess include diligence, attention to detail, levelheadedness, and strong communication. They also need to be knowledgeable about emergency care.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that nurse anesthetist responsibilities requires skills like "crna," "anesthesia care," "bls," and "aana." But an emergency department registered nurse might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "acute care," "life support," "patient outcomes," and "advanced life support."
Emergency department registered nurses earn a lower average salary than nurse anesthetists. But emergency department registered nurses earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $77,094. Additionally, nurse anesthetists earn the highest salaries in the non profits with average pay of $192,650 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Emergency department registered nurses tend to reach lower levels of education than nurse anesthetists. In fact, they're 16.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Nurse anesthetist vs. Occupational health nurse
An Occupational Health Nurse provides and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers and community groups. They manage employee health records and statistics as well as develop and manage emergency procedures.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, nurse anesthetists are more likely to have skills like "crna," "anesthesia care," "bls," and "acls." But a occupational health nurse is more likely to have skills like "osha," "spirometry," "health promotion," and "infection control."
Occupational health nurses earn the best pay in the automotive industry, where they command an average salary of $79,256. Nurse anesthetists earn the highest pay from the non profits industry, with an average salary of $192,650.occupational health nurses typically earn lower educational levels compared to nurse anesthetists. Specifically, they're 14.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Nurse anesthetist vs. Intensive care unit nurse
An Intensive Care Unit Nurse is specialized in providing care in intensive care units of hospitals. They assist in the treatment of acutely ill patients with life-threatening conditions.
Types of nurse anesthetist
Updated January 8, 2025
