Nurse anesthetist programs are part of the faculty of nursing in a university or college. This is a nursing specialty that is typically completed after a standard nursing program. A nurse anesthetist provides valuable assistance and support to the patient during a surgical procedure. Depending on the state, many nurse anesthetists work independently or collaboratively with physicians.
All nurse anesthetist programs require applicants to have obtained a bachelor of nursing degree from an accredited university. Admission to this program is based on a combination of academic credentials and working experience. All nurse anesthetist programs are graduate-level programs, providing students with either a master's or doctoral degree upon graduation.
When looking for the best nurse anesthetist programs, review the research projects. All graduate-level programs have a least one major research project or thesis. Many nurses combine multiple areas of specialization into their research project. For example, combining oncology with anesthesiology is a very relevant aspect of nursing that offers multiple opportunities for new research.
In nurse anesthetist programs, the training is focused on patient care. Monitoring patient vitals and communication with the physician is important, but pre- and post-operative care have a huge role in the successful outcome of the procedure. It is important to note that medical research typically focuses on technology or techniques, and nursing research looks solely at patient care.
The best nurse anesthetist programs combine theory and practical application in a way that is relevant in the modern health care system. Almost all nursing programs include a clinical aspect. In this portion of the training program, candidates are posted in a hospital or other health care setting. Here, he or she works closely with doctors, nurses, and other staff to implement the skills learned in a clinical setting.
There is a large amount of information that must be absorbed as part of nurse anesthetist programs. Nurses are expected to be familiar with commonly used prescription medications, side effects, contraindications, and side effects. Acting as part of the anesthetist team, he or she must be able to quickly communicate information that is relevant, important, and accurate to the team.
Although most nurses have already learned to communicate with patients and their families, it is usually as support staff. Nurse anesthetists must include training in how to communicate as a subject authority to other nurses, doctors, and related staff. The ability to navigate the interpersonal relationships and roles is essential to the ability to effectively work in a high-pressure environment.
