A CRNA is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and they are professionals who administer upwards of 20 million anesthetics every year inside of the US. Anesthetists have been practicing anesthetist care in the US for over 100 years. Anesthetist Nurses originally started administering anesthesia to wounded soldiers in the Civil War. Over 85% of all anesthetists in the US are members of the AANA, or
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

CRNAs are the only ones administering anesthesia in around 2/3 of all US hospitals located in rural areas, and allow these health care centers to offer surgical, obstetrical, and trauma stabilization treatment. In several states, almost every provider of anesthesia is a CRNA. A CRNA typically will provide anesthetics to patients while working with anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, surgeons, and many other health care professionals.

A CRNA can be found in every place anesthesia is used. Obstetrical delivery rooms, surgical rooms in hospitals, intensive care units, dentist offices, plastic surgeons, in the military, and even at the VA. A CRNA’s liability insurance premiums are around 40% lower than they were a decade ago, due to the fact that administering anesthesia is safer than it has ever been before. An interesting statistic, almost half of all full time CRNA’s are men, but only 8% of people in the nursing profession in total are.