Nurse Anesthetists
Nurse Anesthetists is the O*NET name for people who administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. The strongest interest signal is Social (5.4 of 7), then Investigative (5.1) and Realistic, which gives it the code SIR. The preparation level is extensive preparation, typically graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. O*NET’s skill data points to reading comprehension, critical thinking, and speaking as the ones to build. The job can ask you to manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation. People who want helping, teaching or caring for people usually fit better here than those who need creative work with room for original expression.
What they do
Administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
Main tasks
- Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
- Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
- Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
- Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
- Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
- Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Complex Problem Solving
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on reading comprehension and critical thinking.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIR takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Doctoral Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Staff CRNA)
- Staff Nurse Anesthetist
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.