In order to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, one must first attend a nursing anesthesia education program. Residents of the state of Tennessee who are interested in becoming CRNAs have many options available to them for CRNA education. There are six CRNA schools in Tennessee with CRNA programs. They are located around the state in the cities of Harrogate, Madison, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, and Jackson.
If you live in Tennessee and are hoping to become a CRNA, you may have some questions. This article will provide details on the requirements to be a CRNA, where a CRNA might work, and what a CRNA in Tennessee can expect as far as potential income.
Contents
What is required to become a CRNA?
CRNAs play a crucial role in the overall health and well-being of patients who need to undergo surgical procedures or diagnostic testing as they are responsible for providing safe and reliable pain management. CRNAs work to ensure that each individual patient receives the anesthetic care he or she needs based on the individual medical history, and they are often responsible for maintaining anesthesia throughout a procedure as well as caring for a patient as they recover from anesthesia. Because CRNAs perform such detailed and important duties, becoming a CRNA has specific requirements for education and certification.
In order to apply to a nurse anesthesia program, it is required that an applicant has a bachelor’s degree in nursing (or other appropriate degree), license as a registered nurse, and at least one year of acute care nursing experience. To be certified, a registered nurse who has completed a nurse anesthesia education program must then take and pass the national certification examination. This is required for all graduates of nurse anesthesia school if they want to practice as a CRNA. These are the usual requirements which need to be met before one can become a CRNA, however, some states or medical facilities may require additional certifications.
Where do CRNAs work?
When you first think about anesthesia you will likely equate it with a surgical procedure in a hospital. While it is true that anesthesia is crucial for surgery, there are many other uses for anesthetics in modern day medicine. There are three types of anesthesia. General anesthesia is the most commonly recognized type which is what is used to produce a loss of consciousness for surgery. Regional anesthesia is used to numb a certain region of the body. Local anesthesia numbs just a small specific portion of the body. Regional and Local anesthetics can be used in labor and delivery, biopsy or diagnostic procedures, dental procedures, and plastic surgery or podiatric procedures. Because there are so many types and uses for anesthesia, CRNAs practice in many different locations.
CRNAs can practice in urban locations as part of anesthesia teams in hospitals and medical centers. They can also practice in rural hospitals and, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, are the sole providers of anesthesia care in many rural hospitals around the country. CRNAs can also work in private practices, dentist offices, podiatrist offices, or in ambulatory surgery centers. Becoming a CRNA does not mean that you will spend the rest of your career working in a hospital. While some CRNAs choose to work in large hospitals or medical centers, there are certainly many other options for CRNAs who may be looking to work in different types of environments.
Income for Tennessee CRNAs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 report on CRNAs shows that the average annual wage for CRNAs practicing in Tennessee ranged from $145,020 to $158,840. This range is similar to that of CRNAs working in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, and Missouri. The report also found that the Nashville metropolitan region of Tennessee had the third-highest employment level of CRNAs in the nation for metropolitan areas. The Chattanooga Tennessee region had the highest concentration of CRNA jobs in the nation for metropolitan areas. Tennessee has a lot to offer the potential CRNA including many CRNA education programs from which to choose as well as a large volume of CRNA jobs.
CRNA Programs in Tennessee
Lincoln Memorial University Caylor School of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Concentration
6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway
Harrogate, TN 37752
Middle Tennessee School of AnesthesiaP.O. Box 417
Madison, TN 37116
The University of Tennessee College of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Concentration
1934 Alcoa Hwy. Suite 365
Knoxville, TN 37920
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga /Erlanger Health System Nurse Anesthesia Concentration
School of Nursing 615 McCallie Ave. Dept 1051
Chattanooga, TN 37403
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Option
920 Madison Avenue Suite 513
Memphis, TN 38163
Union University School of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Track
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305