A certified registered nurse anesthetist or CRNA specializes in administering anesthetics and caring for patients undergoing surgeries. Wondering how to become a CRNA? First, you’ll need to become an RN by earning a nursing degree and passing the NCLEX. Then, earn a graduate degree and pass the board certification exam.
About 40 million anesthetics are administered each year in the U.S. to patients undergoing surgery, giving birth or having other procedures. Certified registered nurse anesthetists are responsible for administering many of those anesthetics. If you’re thinking of transitioning to a career in nursing, you may want to take a closer look at how to become a CRNA.
Harding University can help you achieve your career goals, regardless of which nursing specialty you plan to pursue. Our accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program is designed specifically for people interested in transitioning to a new career in health care. It leverages your prior non-nursing education so you can graduate with a nursing degree in as few as 16 months.
Becoming a nurse anesthetist starts with earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing. You’ll then need to earn a nursing license, obtain clinical experience and pursue advanced credentials. First, however, you should closely examine what CRNAs do to determine if it’s the right career choice for you.
What Is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist?
A nurse anesthetist is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in administering anesthesia and other pain medications. Anesthetic medications can numb parts of the body or put a patient to sleep during surgery. CRNAs care for patients before, during and after anesthesia. Some CRNAs may choose a subspecialty, such as pediatric anesthesia.
What Do CRNAs Do?
CRNAs hold significant responsibility for a patient’s life and health. Severe complications can occur when anesthetics are administered improperly, including the potential for death. Because of this, CRNAs must be extremely safety-minded.
They start by reviewing a patient’s medical history and other information, checking to see if the patient has previously had an adverse reaction to anesthesia. They also identify whether the patient is high-risk due to conditions like asthma or diabetes.
Other job responsibilities of a CRNA include:
- Educating patients about anesthesia and its potential risks
- Administering anesthetics in precisely calculated dosages
- Assessing the patient’s response to the medication
- Monitoring the patient closely during the procedure and adjusting medications as needed
- Monitoring the patient while they recover from anesthesia
Steps to Become a Nurse Anesthetist
If you can stay calm under pressure and have a strong attention to detail, you might be interested in learning how to become a CRNA. It starts with applying to nursing school.
1. Apply to Nursing School
If you have no prior college education, you’ll need to apply to a traditional four-year BSN program. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 64 non-nursing college credits, you could be eligible to apply to Harding’s ABSN program.
Other admissions requirements for Harding’s ABSN program include:
- Prerequisite courses
- HESI Admission Assessment Exam
- 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA
- 2.78 or higher GPA for all prerequisites
- State and national criminal background check
- One character reference from a non-family member
If applicable, a composite score of at least 83 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language and a minimum speaking score of 26
Our admissions counselors will walk you through the admissions process. You can choose from three start dates each year to get started sooner after meeting the requirements.
2. Earn a Nursing Degree
At Harding University, you’ll benefit from our values-based education. We offer a hybrid approach with both online and in-person learning components.
You’ll complete nursing coursework online. These classes teach nursing theories and help you to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills with simulated case studies.
You’ll attend in-person nursing skills and simulation labs, which will teach you everything from inserting an IV line to handling a patient suffering from a severe allergic reaction or airway obstruction.
You’ll also complete a series of clinical placements at nearby health care facilities in the Allegheny Health Network. During clinical placements, you’ll gain experience working directly with patients in various practice areas.
3. Pass the NCLEX and Earn a Nursing License
After graduating with your BSN, the next step is to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam. Nurse candidates typically take the NCLEX within a couple of months of graduation.
Ideally, you will have already prepared considerably for the licensure exam during your ABSN program. Still, you can use the time between graduation and the exam date to dive deeper into your NCLEX prep materials. After passing the exam, you can obtain your RN license by registering with the board of nursing in the state where you’ll practice.
Try these 8 tips for success on the NCLEX.
4. Gain Clinical Experience
After earning your nursing license, you’ll need to gain at least a year or two of clinical experience. It’s not uncommon for future CRNAs to spend three years or more working as an RN before taking the next step in their careers.
You should choose a nursing specialty in acute or critical care at this stage. For example, you might work in an intensive care unit where you gain experience addressing severe complications and various patient care emergencies.
5. Earn a Graduate Degree
At a minimum, future nurse anesthesiologists must obtain a Master of Science in nursing degree. However, to deepen your nursing knowledge and skill set and potentially increase your career opportunities, you might instead opt to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice with an anesthetics focus or a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice.
Look for a degree program from an accredited school that allows you to meet the requirements necessary to sit for the board certification exam in your state.
6. Obtain Board Certification as a CRNA
After completing the education and training requirements, you must pass the National Certification Examination from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. Like the NCLEX, this rigorous exam is a variable-length, computerized adaptive test. Plan to spend plenty of time preparing for it.
After passing the exam, you can obtain your APRN license from your state and officially become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
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How Long Does It Take to Become a CRNA?
Every nurse’s journey is different, but on average, it takes seven to 10 years to become a CRNA. This includes the time needed to become a registered nurse, gain experience, obtain graduate-level nursing education and earn board certification.
If you qualify for our ABSN program at Harding, your journey may be on the shorter end of that timeline. If you obtain a doctoral degree instead of a master’s degree, it might take a little longer. Similarly, if you opt to gain more clinical experience before taking the next step in your career, your journey to become a CRNA may take longer.
CRNA Salary and Career Outlook
All types of APRNs have higher salary potential than RNs, but CRNAs have the highest salary potential of any APRN. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CRNAs made a median annual salary of $223,210 as of May 2024. In comparison, nurse midwives made a median annual salary of $128,790.
Nurse anesthesiologists also have a strong job growth rate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the job growth rate for CRNAs to be 10% from 2023 through 2033, faster than average.
Build a Foundation for Success at Harding
If you want to pursue an exciting career as a nurse anesthetist, you can start at Harding University. Our accredited ABSN program in Rogers, Arkansas, offers quality education based on Christian values. We strive to graduate highly compassionate and competent nurses who serve their patients with integrity.
The BSN you will earn at Harding can set the stage for pursuing graduate-level nursing education later. Contact an admissions counselor today to learn about the next steps to take.