Nurse Anesthetist – Career and Education Profile

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Nurse anesthetists assist medical teams during surgery or other minor procedures to provide anesthesia-related care to patients during and surrounding a surgery.

Job Responsibilities

As a nurse anesthetist, you’ll work with a patient leading up to surgery to help prepare them from the anesthesia, as well as monitor a patient after the procedure, but most of the work you’ll do is during the actual surgery. Nurse anesthetists can work as part of an anesthesia team, but in all states, being a certified registered nurse anesthetist in this field means that you can also work solo, providing complete anesthesia care to a patient. You can also help doctors create a pain management plan for a recovering patients.

Salary and Career Options

Nurse anesthetists earn the highest salaries of all nurses, on average. This this kind of education and experience, you can easily earn a six figure salary, and many nurse anesthetists earn $120,000 to $150,000 annually. Most nurse anesthetists work as general staff nurses, surgical nurses, or anesthetist assistants before working as a nurse anesthetist. You can also make more money by working with special-needs patients where anesthesia administration is more complicated, such as working with children or people with allergies.

Educational Requirements

In order to work as a nurse anesthetist, you must first get licensed as an RN, which requires at least an associate’s degree in nursing. You’ll need to earn a BSN eventually, which you can do from the start (skipping the associate’s degree), or with you can do through an RN-to-BSN program. After working in the field, you’ll need to earn a masters degree in nursing, specializing in anesthesia, and some nurses opt to earn a doctorate. Once you have experience in the field as an RN and earn at least your master’s degree, you’ll need to take the certification exam offered by the the National Board on Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists, which allows you to begin working as a certified nurse anesthetist.

LPN to RN College Programs

With some additional schooling, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) can become a registered nurse (RN), opening doors to more job opportunities and higher salaries. The following is a list of schools with the best online LPN to RN degree programs offered by accredited colleges. You can request information by clicking the college's logo.

LPN to RN (BSN)	Indiana State University—ISU’s LPN to BSN degree program is the only online LPN to RN training program in the United States. LPNs and LVNs who complete this program can earn their NLNAC-approved Bachelor of Science degree in nursing entirely online. Upon completion, graduates should meet all of the prerequisites for becoming an RN. Read an in-depth review of Indiana State University.
LPN to RN LPN to ADN LPN to BSN	The College Network—Earn your LPN to RN (ADN) degree completely online with no campus attendance and no wait list. Learn from the convenience of home at your own pace, and earn an NLNAC-accredited associate’s degree in less time and for less money than traditional campus programs. Read an in-depth review of The College Network.
	Select a subject and degree level, then click "Find My Degree" to browse 100+ online nursing schools offering relevant accredited programs.
BS in Nursing RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Education MSN in Nurse Informatics MSN in Nurse Management	Walden University—Founded in 1970, Walden University is dedicated to providing education for a higher purpose. The Nursing School confers degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level, which provides further study in health informatics, nursing education, and nursing leadership/management. Walden is one of the biggest providers of online master and doctorate programs with over a hundred degrees offered at each level.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing (MSN) MSN in Adult Health RN to MSN in Nurse Education Accelerated RN to MSN	South University—South University’s College of Nursing offers numerous degree programs for aspiring nurses. Those looking for a BSN degree can enter into the RN to BSN and complete it within 18 months. South also offers the following master’s degree-level programs: MS in Nursing (MSN), MSN in adult health nurse practitioning, MSN in nurse education, and an accelerated RN to MSN.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Administration MSN in Nurse Education	Kaplan University—Kaplan University’s RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs feature curriculums that provide registered nurses with the tools to graduate with BSN and MSN degrees. The MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education feature curriculums that teach methods in management and education in order to prepare students for leadership and educator positions with in the nursing field.