There is some confusion about anesthetists and anesthesiologists. Both specialize in anesthesia, and both are among the most highly trained specialists in their respective fields. The difference is that anesthesiologists are medical doctors, and anesthetists are registered nurses. Nurse anesthetists can and do practice without supervision in most clinical settings. Their duties include evaluating patients and preparing them for the anesthesia, conducting the procedure itself, providing post-anesthesia care and performing various related support functions within the clinical or research facility.
All nurse anesthetists are required to have a master's degree from an accredited program. The AANA's database lists only 110 of these among the thousands of nursing schools in the country. Courses teach the relevant pharmacology, chemistry and biochemistry, human physiology and other clinical factors, as well as the practical and administrative functions of the profession. Applicants must be registered nurses, with a bachelor's degree in nursing or a related field and at least one year of experience in critical care nursing. Effective by 2025, new nurse anesthetists will be required to hold a doctorate.
Only a small percentage of the country's nursing schools are accredited to provide the advanced training required for this profession. Some are located at colleges and universities, others at major hospitals or other clinical settings. Some are high-profile institutions, such as Duke, Columbia and the Mayo Clinic, but most are not. A complete list of accredited programs may be found at the AANA website. The federal College Navigator website lists only 72 programs but provides a variety of useful filters and search tools for the potential student.
In total, it usually takes seven or eight years to become a nurse anesthetist. After graduating from a master's program, anesthetists must pass a certification exam in order to be credentialed. According to 2009 data from the American Medical Group Association, the median income for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) was $157,724, making this the highest-paid nursing specialization.