Jump to content
Premed 101 Forums

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)


Hieu

Recommended Posts

A CRNA is a nurse that can autonomously provide anesthetics to patients undergoing surgery in place or under the direct supervision of a anesthesiologist. I believe the level of education required is a masters after one completes their ba.N and becomes a registered nurse practitioner. In Canada CRNA's play less of a role than in the US, and from what I gather also earn significantly less. You'll typically see these types of nurses in rural areas where anesthesiologists are scarce, although their prevalence in the United States and in urban areas is growing due to the attractive salary, interesting line of work, hours, and duration of education. They are not the same as nurse practitioners, nor are they the same as specialized certified nurses (surgery nurse, for example), but resemble more to nurse practitioners over anything (nurse practitioners are heavily educated nurses - masters and most of the time have phd's - who can open up clinics, prescribe certain drugs but not narcotics, and help give pt examinations when doctors in clinics/hospitals are busy, although this is only the US)

 

 

- I'm an administrator at a hospital in Montreal and recently became interested in CRNA's and their potential impact on global healthcare. I'd like to see more of them in Canada, but here in Canada experts are skeptical on allowing nurses to perform an anesthesiologist's line of work with the amount of education they receive compared to an MD's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A CRNA is a nurse that can autonomously provide anesthetics to patients undergoing surgery in place or under the direct supervision of a anesthesiologist. I believe the level of education required is a masters after one completes their ba.N and becomes a registered nurse practitioner. In Canada CRNA's play less of a role than in the US, and from what I gather also earn significantly less. You'll typically see these types of nurses in rural areas where anesthesiologists are scarce, although their prevalence in the United States and in urban areas is growing due to the attractive salary, interesting line of work, hours, and duration of education. They are not the same as nurse practitioners, nor are they the same as specialized certified nurses (surgery nurse, for example), but resemble more to nurse practitioners over anything (nurse practitioners are heavily educated nurses - masters and most of the time have phd's - who can open up clinics, prescribe certain drugs but not narcotics, and help give pt examinations when doctors in clinics/hospitals are busy, although this is only the US)

 

 

- I'm an administrator at a hospital in Montreal and recently became interested in CRNA's and their potential impact on global healthcare. I'd like to see more of them in Canada, but here in Canada experts are skeptical on allowing nurses to perform an anesthesiologist's line of work with the amount of education they receive compared to an MD's.

 

Thank you very much for the information.

I understand that CRNA will never come in Canada. But a lot canadians live very closed to USA, I'm wondering if there are Canadian's nurses who want to become CRNA. Someone just says that Michener Institute has a graduated degree for nurse to be an anesthesiologist assistant in Ontario.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anesthesia assistant is a course very much like other technical degrees or certificates such as what radiology technicians and patient attendants (orderly) go through except for the fact that you are already a registered nurse. Anesthesia assistants don't make nearly as much as a CRNA's, especially in Canada, and probably don't earn very much more than their regular RN counterparts (Canada).

 

If you are looking at nursing as a potential career, and would seriously like to become a CRNA, it would probably be a good idea to 1) become a registered nurse, 2) get your anesthesia assistant certificate and 3) apply into a CRNA program in the states. You could drop the whole anesthesia assistant program and apply directly into a CRNA program, but given that the program is only about a year and a half long at the Michener Institute, it may be a good idea to perhaps experience the line of work and build up a good foundation of knowledge and get to know some anesthesiogists for references (:P ) because I imagine CRNA programs are moderately competitive to get into.

 

 

This video answers some of your questions.. She's boring but it's an educational video, so... you know how they are lol

=D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anesthesia assistant is a course very much like other technical degrees or certificates such as what radiology technicians and patient attendants (orderly) go through except for the fact that you are already a registered nurse. Anesthesia assistants don't make nearly as much as a CRNA's, especially in Canada, and probably don't earn very much more than their regular RN counterparts (Canada).

 

If you are looking at nursing as a potential career, and would seriously like to become a CRNA, it would probably be a good idea to 1) become a registered nurse, 2) get your anesthesia assistant certificate and 3) apply into a CRNA program in the states. You could drop the whole anesthesia assistant program and apply directly into a CRNA program, but given that the program is only about a year and a half long at the Michener Institute, it may be a good idea to perhaps experience the line of work and build up a good foundation of knowledge and get to know some anesthesiogists for references (:P ) because I imagine CRNA programs are moderately competitive to get into.

 

 

This video answers some of your questions.. She's boring but it's an educational video, so... you know how they are lol

=D

 

Thank you very much

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...