CRNA's vs Anesthesiologists

I spent most of my WISE time this week focused on a new career path. During the WebShadowers virtual session, the anesthesiologist that was presenting was given the question, “How do you set yourself apart from CRNA’s?” I was unaware of the similarities between the two careers until I took the time to research their job descriptions, which I found to be overwhelmingly similar. Both specialize in the process of putting a patient under anesthesia. They are both able to prescribe medicine and order diagnostic tests. The type of patients they are able to care for are the same. They can both specialize (and subspecialize) in the same areas of anesthesia. These areas include obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, cardiac surgery, pain management, dental surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery, palliative (hospice) care, organ transplantation, doctors’ offices and outpatient surgery centers, and even the military. Positions they are both able to fill include those in clinical areas, administration, management, and research.

With all these similarities, you are probably starting to ask yourself, “So, what’s the difference?”

The major difference between these two professions is that “anesthesiologists are medical doctors that administer anesthesia, while nurse anesthetists are registered nurses who may assist or collaborate with doctors in administering anesthesia, or may work entirely independently as they administer anesthesia.” (WGU)

Still confused? Many people are.

It takes a closer look at the responsibilities, education process, job requirements, salaries, and even the type of people that hold these jobs to truly understand the differences. 

CERTIFIED REGISTERED            ANESTHESIOLOGIST
NURSE ANESTHETIST

Required to complete an undergrad degree, become an RN, get at least one year of critical care experience, then complete a CRNA degree program (28-36 months) and pass the national certification exam.	Medical Doctors- required to complete an undergrad degree, attend 4 years of medical school, 1-year internship learning about anesthesiology, 3-4 years in a residency program, and 1 year or more in a fellowship program to learn an anesthesiology subspecialty.
CRNAs have a high degree of autonomy and there are several states where they are not required to work under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. (2001 law that allowed states to decide the autonomy of their CRNAs)	No supervision from a physician necessary
Smaller medical offices are more likely to have nurse anesthetists	Larger hospitals typically employ both
CRNA programs are competitive and intense, but the cost to earn your degree and time spent working toward your degree is much less than the cost and time it takes to be an anesthesiologist.	Anesthesiologists have a higher earning potential, but have less of a work-life balance and must wait longer to begin their career due to the grueling and expensive education requirements.
$170,000 average annual salary (Bureau of Labor Statistics)	$360,000 average annual salary (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Nurse anesthetists are critical members of medical care teams.	Physicians who administer drugs that reduce or completely eliminate pain before, during, or after a medical procedure or surgery
Some of their job responsibilities include Providing pain management Assisting physicians with anesthesia administration Overseeing patient recovery Performing epidurals for spinal blocks Providing care before, during, and after anesthesia Being up-to-date on patient medical history to ensure anesthesia is safely administered Discussing anesthesiology side-effects with patients Monitoring vital signs during the procedure (WGU)	Their job description includes: Administering epidurals, anesthesia, spinal blocks, and more Monitoring patient vital signs during surgery or procedures Supervising anesthesia assistants and CRNAs Approving general, sedative, regional, or local anesthetics Reviewing medical files and lab results Informing patients of the side effects of anesthesia Complying with medical and hospital regulations (WGU)
The demand for nurse anesthetists is expected to grow 26% by 2028 (Cost-effective for hospitals to hire CRNA's)	The job outlook for anesthesiologists is 15% growth by 2026
According to Career Assessment Site, a strong percentage of “ESFJs", Extraverted Sensing Feeling Judging, chose to become RNs. (Pocket Prep)	Myers-Briggs personality study found that individuals who choose a career as an anesthesiologist are often classified as “ISFJs” or Introverted Sensing Feeling Judging. (Pocket Prep)
ESFJ- Warm, sympathetic, and helpful. Decisive, thorough, consistent, and are also known for being conscientious and loyal.	ISFJ- introverted, learns in a more concrete or literal matter (memoization), prefer things to be neat and orderly (make lists, strict to adherence to schedules)
The presence of CRNA's allows us to complete more surgeries per year than we ever could if we relied solely upon anesthesiologists.	Anesthesiologists generally take on more high-risk patients compared to CRNAs.