Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who provide anesthesia-related care in many different health care settings. As advanced practice nurses, CRNAs practice with a high degree of autonomy and professional respect. CRNAs are qualified to make independent judgments regarding all aspects of anesthesia care based on their education, licensure, and certification.
CRNAs use their high level of training combined with the compassion learned from taking care of patients at the bedside to provide an exceptional level of comprehensive anesthetic care. A CRNA has excellent critical thinking skills, attention to detail, calm logic, and quick action in an emergency.
CRNAs are certified after passing the National Certification Examination. CRNAs follow a recertification program, that focuses on lifelong learning, as required by The Continued Professional Certification Program.