A nurse anesthetist receives training in anesthesiology to be able to administer anesthesia. In hospitals and surgical centers, the nurse works under the supervision of a certified anesthesiologist. Like any other career path, this one has its pros and cons. It would be a good idea to weigh these when deciding if this is the right career for you.

The professionals

The pay is attractive. Nurse Anesthetists are highly paid and it is actually the earning potential that attracts many to the professional field. You can be sure of enjoying a decent life when working with this job profile.

It offers you the chance to help those in need. Contrary to what many people think, nurses are not only there to administer anesthesia but also to manage pain. They care for patients before surgery, during surgery, and after the surgical procedure. Therefore, they offer a lot of help to the patients making them vital people in all kinds of surgeries. You will love the feeling of saving a life through a successful procedure that you played a role in as a nurse anesthetist.

The work attracts professional respect. This is a title that demands professional respect, considering that you end up working with doctors, surgeons, and other nurses who trust each other or provide successful patient care. You will gain more responsibility and autonomy when you are a nurse anesthetist and surgeons and doctors will also trust your advice and experience.

You gain the freedom to control patient care. This is a fast paced field and decisions are made based on experience and education. In most cases, you will be able to make decisions without involving anyone else to safeguard the health and safety of the patient.

The cons

The position carries great responsibility on your part. As a nurse anesthetist, he must be prepared to face difficult situations, some of which could cause him to be sued by patients or their families. Actually, he helps to be insured just to be safe when situations arise.

You could end up working long hours. Surgical procedures can be quite lengthy and as a nurse anesthetist you need to be present throughout the entire process of monitoring your patient. Some may last longer than expected, and once they are done, you still need to care for the patient during recovery. If you are the only nurse anesthetist in a healthcare facility then you will need to be prepared to attend to more than one surgery in a day sometimes.

It can get boring. This is because you do not play an active role during the surgical procedures, but you must be present to monitor the patient’s response to anesthesia. You may have to endure long and boring surgeries

The field is very competitive and you would have to impress your employer to get them to hire you for the job. Nurse anesthetist programs are hard to get into, but many have a hard time earning the degree and you need to be well prepared to beat the competition.