Essay On Nurse Anesthetists

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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) are high trained nurses who use their developed training in the use of anesthesia to alleviate patient pain and discomfort due to medical procedures. Nurse anesthetists have been providing anesthesia for more than 125 years, dating back to the early Civil War. ("Nurse anesthetist," 2014). They undergo rigorous training post nursing licensure that allows them to hold a high position in the nursing field working beside surgeons, anesthesiologist, dentists, podiatrist, and many other skilled healthcare professionals ("Nurse anesthetist," 2014). Pain management is one of the main aspects in any procedure, if not the most important to the patient, therefore giving nurse anesthetists a wide spectrum of work settings in the medical field that they can practice in.
After obtaining licensure as a registered nurse and a bachelor’s degree in nursing, the nurse must then work at least a year in an intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency room (ER) in order to meet the requirements to apply for a nurse anesthetist program. These programs vary in length depending on the institution, but usually range from 24-36 months. Although there are no available programs in the state of Delaware, surrounding states such as Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York offer a number of various programs to attend. These intense programs prepare future CRNAs with the knowledge and experience necessary to practice in the field. Most student nurse anesthetists complete about 2,500 clinical hours and administer almost 850 anesthetics ("American association of," 2014). Following graduation the nurse must then successfully complete a national certification exam in order to practice as a CRNA.
Since pain management is an imp...

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...rowth is favorable for this profession. As stated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there is a considerable and continuous growth for the need of CRNAs around the country ("Nurse anesthetist," 2014). Through the rigorous training and clinical experience, certified registered nurse anesthetists have a pivotal role in the medical field that ensures comfort, care, and safety for the patient undergoing procedures involving anesthesia.

References
American association of nurse anesthetists. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.aana.com
Greenwood, B. (2014). Career skills for being a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/career-skills-being-certified-registered-nurse-anesthetist-15139.html
Nurse anesthetist. (2014, March 09). Retrieved from http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/80/Nurse_Anesthetist

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