Career Profile: Nurse Anesthetists

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 45,200 people employed as nurse anesthetists in the United States. The median annual salary is $195,610. Entry level employees earn approximately $131,840 per year and senior employees earn approximately $208,000 (or more) per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
• Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
• Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
• Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
• Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.
• Perform or manage regional anesthetic techniques, such as local, spinal, epidural, caudal, nerve blocks and intravenous blocks.
• Develop anesthesia care plans.
• Obtain informed consent from patients for anesthesia procedures.
• Prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified methods and procedures.
• Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results.
• Calibrate and test anesthesia equipment.
• Select and prescribe post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients.
• Perform or evaluate the results of diagnostic tests, such as radiographs (x-rays) and electrocardiograms (EKGs).
• Select, order, or administer pre-anesthetic medications.
• Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters.
• Insert arterial catheters or perform arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples.
• Discharge patients from post-anesthesia care.
• Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
• Request anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments, or safety tests.
• Instruct nurses, residents, interns, students, or other staff on topics such as anesthetic techniques, pain management and emergency responses.
• Disassemble and clean anesthesia equipment.
• Evaluate patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses, taking appropriate corrective actions or requesting consultation if complications occur.
• Administer post-anesthesia medications or fluids to support patients' cardiovascular systems.

Career Explorer