About CRNAs

10 Things You Should Know About CRNAs/Nurse Anesthesiologists

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in administering anesthesia and providing care before, during, and after surgical, therapeutic, diagnostic, and obstetrical procedures. CRNAs are highly trained clinicians who are qualified to deliver the full spectrum of anesthesia services and pain management  in every type of healthcare setting and have done so for more than 150 years.

CRNAs safely administer more than 58.5 million anesthetics annually and are among the nation’s most trusted professions, with nurses topping Gallup’s Honesty and Ethics list for a quarter century.

Did You Know?

1. CRNAs practice in every setting anesthesia is delivered, including operating rooms and obstetrical delivery rooms; ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs); the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and in the U.S. military. CRNAs stay bedside their patients before, during and after procedures.
2. CRNAs are the only anesthesia professionals with an average of three years critical care experience before beginning formal anesthesia education.
3. CRNAs represent more than 80% of the anesthesia providers in rural U.S. counties and over 50% of anesthesia providers in the United States.
4. All anesthesia professionals administer anesthesia the same way, regardless of whether their educational background is in nursing or medicine. When anesthesia is administered by a CRNA it is recognized as the practice of nursing; when administered by a physician anesthesiologist, it is recognized as the practice of medicine.
5. Today, CRNAs have full practice authority in every branch of the military and are the primary providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel on the front lines, Navy ships, and aircraft evacuation teams around the globe.
6. Currently, because of their rigorous anesthesia training and expertise, 29 jurisdictions (27 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam) have opted-out of the federal requirement for CRNAs to be supervised by a physician, dentist or podiatrist.
7. CRNA preparation requires 8–8.5 years of education and experience, including enrollment in a doctoral program. Graduates accumulate an average of 9,432 clinical hours: 733 during their baccalaureate nursing program, 6,032 as a critical care registered nurse, and 2,725 during their nurse anesthesia program.
8. CRNAs must complete certification requirements every 4 years in the enhanced Maintaining Anesthesia Certification (MAC) Program.
9. Nurse anesthetists have provided anesthesia care to patients in the United States for more than 150 years; in fact, nurses first provided anesthesia on the battlefields of the American Civil War.
10. The CRNA credential came into existence in 1956 – nearly 100 years into the profession’s history – and in 1986 CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists became the first nursing specialty accorded direct reimbursement rights from Medicare.

Last Updated: 10/8/2025