If you are planning to become a nurse anesthetist, it can prove to be a highly lucrative career choice. The increasing career opportunities in the medical field have led to a significant growth in the nurse anesthetist salary. This article will give you state-wise information about the salary range for the job profile of nurse anesthetists.
According to US Government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the annual mean wage for the nurse anesthetist job profile was $154,390 as of May 2012.
Nursing jobs are one of the most traditional medicine professions. The ever-increasing scope of work in the medical field always creates new employment opportunities. In the nursing domain, there are various categorizations and specializations. One of the relatively new jobs in the nursing fraternity is that of a nurse anesthetist.
A nurse anesthetist helps in administering anesthesia. This being an important step in surgeries and certain medical procedures, nurse anesthetists play a key role in the success of it. They also monitor patient health before and after the surgery, and even provide support to encourage an early recovery. Since their career development path is steady, and promises growth, the earning potential of nurse anesthetists is growing. It is competing with various other traditional medical jobs in terms of earnings.
Nurse Anesthetist Average Salary
Nurse anesthetists command decent salaries. Cited to be one of the fastest growing careers in the US, the nurse anesthetist salary ranges from US $79,898 to US $191,145 according to PayScale as of August 2013. Working as a nurse anesthetist is definitely one of the most rewarding careers, when it comes to monetary satisfaction.
State-wise Annual Salary
Following is a list of state-wise salaries for the job profile of a nurse anesthetist. All figures are in US dollars and are sourced from Indeed as of August, 2013. Please note that the amount is subject to change, based on a number of factors like job experience, qualification, job location, etc.
Alabama | $84,000 |
Alaska | $67,000 |
Arizona | $72,000 |
Arkansas | $80,000 |
California | $91,000 |
Colorado | $74,000 |
Connecticut | $93,000 |
Delaware | $76,000 |
Florida | $79,000 |
Georgia | $94,000 |
Hawaii | $56,000 |
Idaho | $59,000 |
Illinois | $90,000 |
Indiana | $81,000 |
Iowa | $80,000 |
Kansas | $75,000 |
Kentucky | $71,000 |
Louisiana | $71,000 |
Maine | $72,000 |
Maryland | $85,000 |
Massachusetts | $98,000 |
Michigan | $83,000 |
Minnesota | $73,000 |
Mississippi | $92,000 |
Missouri | $82,000 |
Montana | $80,000 |
Nebraska | $64,000 |
Nevada | $72,000 |
New Hampshire | $82,000 |
New Jersey | $90,000 |
New Mexico | $74,000 |
New York | $101,000 |
North Carolina | $82,000 |
North Dakota | $75,000 |
Ohio | $80,000 |
Oklahoma | $76,000 |
Oregon | $78,000 |
Pennsylvania | $77,000 |
Rhode Island | $80,000 |
South Carolina | $77,000 |
South Dakota | $63,000 |
Tennessee | $78,000 |
Texas | $80,000 |
Utah | $67,000 |
Vermont | $76,000 |
Virginia | $84,000 |
Washington | $81,000 |
West Virginia | $81,000 |
Wisconsin | $74,000 |
Wyoming | $72,000 |
Source: Indeed
Factors Affecting Salary
Among various factors that affect the salary range are, work experience, geographical location and type of employer. Work experience plays a major role in helping nurse anesthetists to get better employment opportunities, as it is a position that comes with great responsibilities. Hospitals and health care units prefer nurses with a considerable work experience in the critical care area.
Educational Qualifications
In order to become a nurse anesthetist, you need to graduate from a high school or pass the General Education Development (GED) examination. It is advisable that you pursue courses in biology and physiology. After this, pursue a Bachelor’s degree in a field related to science or Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Then you will have to appear for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses and fulfill other State requirements. This will help you to get licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN). Working for at least two years in the emergency room or medical and surgical intensive care units will help you gain the appropriate experience. Then apply to the Council On Accreditation (COA) for getting admission into an accredited program of nurse-anesthesia. The course will last for two to three years and earn you a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia or a related Master of Science degree (according to the course you choose). A doctoral program in nursing can also help. It is advisable that you undertake clinical residencies in order to get first-hand experience. This will enable you to learn about the techniques of administering anesthesia to patients of different age groups and with different medical problems.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who has both graduate-level education and a board certification in anesthesia. In order to get your CRNA certification, you will have to qualify in the national certification test for CRNAs which is conducted by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA). Keep undertaking the re-certification courses from time to time, to update your license.
Nurse Anesthetist Job Description
✦ Nurse anesthetists help to administer and maintain anesthesia in collaboration with doctors and other nurses, for medical as well as surgical procedures.
✦ A nurse anesthetist is a core and specialized medical profession which is dedicated to patient care before and after surgery, which involves administering anesthesia, monitoring his vital signs and looking after his recovery from anesthesia.
✦ Nurse anesthetists look after patient recovery, post administration of anesthesia.
✦ It is the responsibility of a nurse anesthetist to provide and maintain a proper schedule of medicines before and after a surgery.
✦ Nurse anesthetists also review the health condition of a patient before surgery, based on which they chalk out a plan to administer the required anesthetic drugs.
✦ Nurse anesthetists look after the patient’s health and alter the dosage of medicines accordingly.
✦ It is important that they have thorough knowledge of the health effects of anesthesia, the risks involved in its administration and the precautions to be taken in adjusting its dosage. Even a minor change in the drug dosage can have a deep impact on the patient’s health.
The nurse anesthetist job description includes a wide spectrum of responsibilities. Before surgery, during the surgery and after surgery, nurse anesthetists play a vital role in patient health management. They work in critical and intensive care units, and in fields like dentistry, plastic surgery, labor and delivery units, etc. The nurse anesthetist salary is certainly among the best ones in the medical field. For nurses who have a considerable amount of work experience, taking advanced certifications can be a highly rewarding career choice.