The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who administers and monitors anesthesia to patients undergoing surgical procedures, trauma stabilization, or when pain management is required. The patient population covers the entire life span from neonates to children, adults, and older adults. The CRNA holds a graduate-level degree (master’s or doctoral) and provides the same services as an Anesthesiologist. These services include monitoring the patient before, during, and after medical treatment.
The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist alleviates pain for patients by administering anesthesia to make them comfortable during treatment. Even though the CRNA educational background differs from that of an Anesthesiologist, all anesthesia professionals give anesthesia in the same and safe manner.
The CRNA alleviates pain for the patient by applying anesthesia for one of three areas of the body:
- Locally – for a specific area of treatment,
- Regionally – for a region of the body, or
- Generally – for the entire body.
CRNAs are responsible for:
- Interviewing and assessing the patient needs,
- Formulating a Care Plan,
- Providing care before a procedural or surgical treatment,
- Monitoring and maintaining Anesthesia levels during treatment,
- Assisting in recovery from Anesthesia after treatment,
- Collaborating with healthcare professionals to minimize pain and optimize recovery, and
- Serving as a patient advocate.
History
The Nurse Anesthetist role began with nurses administering anesthesia to wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Since World War I, Nurse Anesthetists have been the principal providers of anesthesia care to United States military personnel on the front lines.
The CRNA credential for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist was created in 1956, making this the most tenured Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role.
Practice Settings
- Hospitals – Surgical Suites, Obstetrical Delivery Rooms, Intensive Care Units, Emergency Rooms, Cardiac Care Units,
- Outpatient Services – Ambulatory (Same-day) Surgical Centers and Pain Management Clinics,
- Specialty Practices – Dentists, Oral Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Podiatrists, Ophthalmologists, and
- Public Entities – Military, Public Health Services, Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities.
The adjacent chart illustrates practice settings for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are exclusive providers of anesthesia in two-thirds (2/3) of all rural hospitals nationwide. In some states, almost 100% of patients receive anesthesia from CRNAs. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) , CRNAs safely administer approximately 43 million anesthetics to patients in the United States each year.
Scope of Practice
Scope of Practice refers to the degree to which a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists may practice independently of oversight by a Physician. The Scope of Practice for a CRNA includes two major aspects of practice:
- Practice Autonomy – the ability of the CRNA to work independent of written collaborative agreements with, or supervision by, a Physician or other practice restrictions, and
- Prescriptive Authority – authorization to prescribe pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies beyond perioperative and periprocedural periods.
Scope of Practice varies by state, depending on the state legislative and regulatory rules. Visit the Color Coded Map and Sortable List to view how Scope of Practice varies by state. For more detailed information, visit the Board of Nursing for the state of interest. However, be aware that individual employers may impose Scope of Practice rules for a CNRA more restrictive than permitted by the state.
Salary
The adjacent chart of estimated wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a national Median Annual Salary for a Nurse Anesthetist at $212,650 in 2024. This salary increased from $174,790 in 2019 and $223,210 in 2024. The 2024 salary is three times the national Median Annual Salary of $75,585 for all wage earners and nearly two and a half times higher than Registered Nurses at $93,600.
Salaries at the 90th percentile exceeded BLS reporting limit of $208,000 between 2019 and 2021, the $239,200 from 2022 until 2024. During a portion of these times, Salaries at the 75th percentile also exceeded the reporting limit between 2020 and 2021, and again between 2023 and 2024.
At the extremes, 10% of Nurse Anesthetist salaries lie below $137,230 and 25% above $223,210. Salaries vary by years of experience, location, practice setting, and employer.
A CRNA‘s ability to offer the same high-quality patient care as an Anesthesiologist but at a lower cost makes the CRNA a wise staffing choice for employers interested in controlling costs.
The adjacent chart illustrates Annual Mean Salary trends for the highest paying practice settings for CRNAs between 2019 and 2024.
The BLS identified four practice settings, Outpatient Care Centers, Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, General Medical/Surgical Hospitals, and Physician Offices, as the top four highest-paying practice settings in 2024. In 2024, Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools reentered the list in fifth place.
Other practice settings that appeared in the highest-paying list during this period included:
- Local Government (excluding schools and hospitals) in 2019, and
- Home Health Care Services in 2019 and 2020.
For additional salary information, use these four different presentations of Salary and Employment data as reported by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Education
The ability to practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist requires a graduate-level nursing education. There are several degrees or certificate types:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Master of Science, Nursing Major (MS-NM), or Master of Nursing (MN) – The master’s degree has been the most commonly offered degree type and is the minimum required for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist education. These degree programs are offered widely by public and private schools. The master’s degree in nursing focuses on advanced nursing theory and the practice of care. Read more...
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – In addition to studying advanced nursing theory and care practice, the DNP emphasizes using research results to improve the CRNA‘s nursing practice. DNP programs also emphasize the application of Evidence-Based Practice to improve the quality of patient care. Read more...
- Post-Master's Certificate – Eligibility is limited to individuals who already hold a graduate-level nursing degree. For example, someone holding an MSN as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) would be eligible to enroll in a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist certificate program. Read more...
Nurse anesthesia education programs range from 24-42 months in length and include classroom instruction and learning experiences in clinical settings. In addition to college and university schools of nursing, nurse anesthesia degree programs are available from some medical schools.
In any case, select a school accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) . States will accept only those applicants who have earned their CRNA degree or certificate from schools that hold COA accreditation.
Use the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Prerequisites
Individuals interested in beginning CRNA education must possess nursing expertise in critical care, emergency, or surgical services. This prior experience is a requirement as the administration of anesthesia is often conducted during specialized medical procedures performed in these hospital departments. Schools generally require at least one and preferably two years of prior experience.
Other prerequisites include prior degrees, minimum grade point averages, certifications, professional references, and other academic and professional indicators.
Accelerated Degree Programs
Accelerated Degree Programs generally cost less and can be completed more quickly than enrolling in consecutive BSN and MSN or doctoral programs. Use the Accelerated Degree Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Certificate Programs
A few schools that offer a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist master’s or doctoral degree also offer a Post-Master's Certificate (PMC) Program. These programs are open to individuals who already hold a master’s or doctoral degree in another nursing specialty and wish to practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. These Certificate Programs should not be confused with certifications offered by Certification Boards or Professional Associations.
Tandem Degree Programs
Tandem Degree Programs award two degrees in the course of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist study. These programs save the student time and expense by eliminating duplicate course work. Some schools offer CNRA Tandem Degree combinations, such as:
Graduates from these Tandem Degree Programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate national certification exams and become licensed as required.
Use this Tandem Degree Program Search Tool to identify CRNA Tandem Degree Programs from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Top Degree and Certificate Offerings
This table displays a count of the top Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist degrees and certificates offered by more than 710 graduate nursing programs. This count includes degrees awarded singly or as the higher degree in a Tandem Degree Program.
Certification
Graduates of Nurse Anesthetist degree or certificate programs are eligible to sit for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) exam. The CRNA exam is administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) . Individuals who successfully pass the exam receive the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) credential. This certification is a prerequisite for a state license to practice as a CRNA.
CRNAs may also obtain an optional Non-Surgical Pain Management (NSPM) specialty certification also offered by the NBCRNA.
Many Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists obtain additional certifications in other areas of specialization. This site includes a survey of more than 300 nursing and related healthcare certifications.
License to Practice
The Board of Nursing for each state issues licenses to practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. The CRNA scope of practice, including Practice Autonomy and Prescriptive Authority, varies by state.
States participating in the APRN Compact and Nurse Licensure Compact have multistate APRN and RN license agreements. These Compacts ease the transfer of CRNA licenses and the ability to practice among participating states. Participation in these Compacts varies by state. Check with your state’s Board of Nursing for more detailed information.
Professional Associations
The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) is the primary professional association for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. The AANA has more than 49,000 CRNA and student registered nurse anesthetists members nationwide and has affiliate chapters in all 50 states.
Other associations that include CRNAs are members include:
- American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians (ASATT) ,
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, and
- Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists (AVANA).
Many Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists also belong to other associations that provide resources and representation in related practice areas.
This site includes a survey of more than 1,800 international, national, regional, state, and local nursing and healthcare associations. These associations provide professional development resources and representation in many other nursing and affiliated healthcare specialties.