Spend a few minutes on the Health Jobs Nationwide website and you will find plenty of opportunities to apply for CRNA jobs. A CRNA is a certified registered nurse anesthetist who works under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. Becoming a CRNA requires a considerable amount of education and practical training.
If you’ve been thinking about becoming a CRNA, there are some things you should know. For example, it is helpful to understand the differences between CRNAs and anesthesiologists. You should also be aware that educational requirements are changing beginning in 2022.
A Nurse First
The biggest difference between a CRNA and anesthesiologist is training. Both professions require an undergraduate degree and postgraduate training. However, a CRNA is trained as a nurse first. He or she is actually a registered nurse who must put in at least one year of practical work before becoming a CRNA.
On the other hand, an anesthesiologist is a doctor first. The anesthesiologist goes through a minimum of 12 years of training to become a medical doctor with a specialization in anesthesiology. Longer training and more clinical hours qualifies the anesthesiologist to practice independent of any kind of supervision.
Most states require CRNAs to be supervised by anesthesiologists. To date, fewer than 20 states have waived that requirement. CRNA advocates around the country are working on changing nationwide standards so as to eliminate the supervisory requirement altogether.
Practical Job Duties
Supervisory restrictions notwithstanding, CRNAs perform many of the same practical duties that anesthesiologists perform. They consult with patients prior to surgery. They prescribe the medications that will be used during surgical procedures. They put patients under and monitor them during their procedures.
How important are CRNAs to day-to-day surgical procedures? According to a 2018 report from the Minnesota Association of Nurse Anesthetists, as many as 60% of the counties in the state rely exclusively on CRNAs to provide anesthesia services.
It is clear that CRNAs are more than capable of providing the care that surgical patients need. Whether or not they need to be supervised by anesthesiologists remains a matter of debate. Given what we’ve seen states do to free up nurse practitioners during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s reasonable to believe that more states will seriously look at dropping supervisory requirements for CRNAs in the future.
Increased Educational Requirements
In anticipation of reducing or eliminating supervisory requirements, the educational requirements necessary to become a CRNA are increasing. Right now, you can become a licensed CRNA with a master’s degree. You spend the time necessary to become a registered nurse, complete one year of practical nursing work, and then go on to get your master’s.
Everything changes beginning in 2022. New students entering a first year CRNA program will be required to earn a doctorate degree. That is good in the sense that a doctorate degree will put them on par with anesthesiologists. Throw in the necessary clinical hours and you eliminate the argument for requiring CRNA supervision.
Anesthesiology Is Changing
For better or worse, anesthesiology is changing. So is much of the healthcare sector in general. Healthcare’s decision-makers are pursuing a litany of strategies intended to make our system more productive and efficient. Many of those changes revolve around defining the roles and responsibilities of clinicians.
If you are planning to become a CRNA within the next 5 to 10 years, plan to be on the cusp of change. You will be among the first generation to experience new educational requirements and an expanding role for the profession. Rest assured the CRNA jobs you search for years from now will differ from the jobs available today.
