Universities Add Nurse Anesthesia Programs as Projections Show Increase of Jobs

• A University of Illinois College of Nursing alumna made the largest donation in the college’s history to help establish a nurse anesthesia program.
• The university is one of several that has added nurse anesthetist curriculum in recent months.
• Labor predictions show that there will be an increase in jobs for CRNAs over the next decade.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on June 17, 2024, and updated on Aug. 7, 2024.

A University of Illinois College of Nursing alumna made the largest donation in the college’s history to help establish a nurse anesthesia program.

Christine Schwartz, a 1970 graduate, contributed $10 million for the program, which begins its accreditation process this month. Her donation will fund the creation of simulation labs and student space at the college.

“Her backing allows us to define how nurses can lead, to create the interdisciplinary education opportunities to get them there and to fuel the College of Nursing’s mission to transform health care,” UIC College of Nursing Dean Eileen Collins said in announcing the donation.

UIC is one of several universities to add nurse anesthetist programs in recent months as the industry prepares for an increase in jobs for the specialty over the next decade. This all comes as legislators debate whether or not Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists will be allowed full-practice authority without supervision. 

Other New Programs

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs reports there are 140 accredited nurse anesthesia programs and fellowships across the U.S. and its territories as of March 2024. Not to mention a dozen programs expecting on-site visits in fall 2024 for spring 2025 accreditation.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is among the institutions that will welcome its first students in 2024. Its first BSN to DNP-Nurse Anesthesia Program cohort begins this fall.

“Job opportunities for CRNAs are likely to be excellent as they will be in high demand, particularly in medically underserved areas such as inner cities and rural areas,” Alison R. Peterson, DNP, CRNA, director of the CRNA program at the School of Nursing, said in a news release. “This is especially relevant in Texas, home to the largest rural population of any state. In rural areas, there sometimes is only one anesthesia provider for several counties.”

Fairfield University recently received approval to expand its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – Nurse Anesthesia program to Austin, Texas.

And Ohio University announced in March its new program in partnership with OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. Its first cohort will begin this fall.

Meanwhile, the first nursing anesthetist program for Nevada was expected to begin in July at Roseman University  and Idaho State University is in the process of establishing the state’s first CRNA program. At the University of Louisville, a CRNA program began last August.

By the Numbers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections show that by 2032 there will be 53,800 anesthetists, or a 9% change from 2022.

There are more than 61,000 nurse anesthesia professionals in the U.S., according to the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists’ 2023 Annual Report. Of those, more than 2,800 began their careers in 2023 alone.

Texas currently has the highest nurse anesthetist employment level at 5,390 with an annual mean wage of $216,280, BLS data shows. Nationally, the median annual wages for a nurse anesthetist in May 2023 were upwards of $212,000, with outpatient care centers offering the highest pay. 

The Physician-Supervision Debate

An anesthesiologist shortage in the U.S. dates back to the early 2000s, according to a call for action report in the April 2024 issue of the “Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health,” and an increase in CRNAs has helped with demand.

Prior to the 1970s, CRNAs provided most anesthesia services, and to mitigate the current anesthesiologist shortage, they will have “an increasingly important role,” the report authors argued.

“A failure to address [the anesthesiologist shortage] will result in longer wait times for surgeries and a rationing of care as demand outstrips supply,” the authors stated. “To address this crisis, a collaborative approach is needed. Healthcare providers, administrators, and policymakers must work together to find solutions. CRNAs will continue to be an important component in offsetting both demand and cost. Policymakers must take a lead role by investing in the education of more providers and regulating private equity’s involvement in healthcare to ensure they are responsible for their business practices and care remains uncompromised.”

Lawmakers have begun to navigate the issue through proposed legislation. Nationally, the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act would allow nurse anesthetists to practice without direct supervision. The measure was referred to the Committee on Finance last July. There has been no movement since. 

However, several organizations in favor of the legislation convened on Capitol Hill in May to advocate for its passage. Opponents argue that the amount of training and cost effectiveness do not rise to the level of allowing unsupervised practice.

At the state level, some leaders and legislators have eliminated CRNA collaboration requirements. Massachusetts opted out of the federal regulation that requires physician supervision, while Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Health Occupations Revision General Amendment Act of 2024, effectively removing collaboration requirements for all APRNs.

The Bottom Line

The number of nurse anesthetist jobs in the United States is expected grow over the next decade as universities add accredited nurse anesthesia programs to their curriculum. Nurse anesthetists are among the most highly paid in the field. However, they are among the specialties as the center of legislative debates regarding independent practice authority. 

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