Alternative Masters Degree (Nursing Anesthesia)

elkpark · Dec 9, 2010

In the US, you must have completed an Master's (or doctorate) specifically in nurse anesthesia in order to be eligible for certification. No other graduate degree in nursing can substitute for that. I don't know what the requirements may be in other countries.

Hikingonthru · Dec 15, 2010

The MSN for Nurse Anesthesia is very specific to the service you will provide as an anesthetist. 0The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA ) oversees nurse anesthesia programs here in America. There are rules and regulations about how many and what type of anesthesia cases you must do to be eleigible to graduate and sit for the cert exam. I will be starting my program in a few weeks and getting in was quite competitive. There were around 130-140 applilcants for around 30 slots. My BSN GPA was pretty good (3.97) and my GRE verbal and quant scores were over 1300 with 6 years of critical care nursing experience. And that was not far off from my fellow applicants scores. Any one of the people with whom I interviewed could have gotten in and done well. It is competitive, but attainable.

I believe as the American and global economy develops, more affordable healthcare provision will be mandated. As a CRNA, you will be in a position to provide anesthesia services in an affordable, sustainable manner.

BCRNA · Dec 22, 2010

If you have a master's degreen in nursing that is recognized by US schools, then you can apply to a post-master's anesthesia program. You will not have to take the basic non-anesthesia nursing classes. It will cut back on your class load and let you focus on anesthesia. You won't have to waste your time with a thesis or project either. The program will still take a minimum of 27 months, the program length is not shorter for a post masters in anesthesia, just the class workload during parts of it. You will have to complete an anesthesia residency to become a CRNA, there is no other way around it. You could check into anesthesia assistants, but I wouldn't recommend that. You are tied to the anesthesiologist and can't work without one; also technically you aren't allowed to make any decisions on your own. AA's are only recognized in a few states, for now.

Your masters or post-masters has to be anesthesia specific. I have been a CRNA for 8 years, I have never met an international CRNA who was educated in another country.

Check out www.aana.com for more information, it is our governing body and has information about education and becoming a CRNA.