Advanced Practice Nurse, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

Veterans Health Administration • Salt Lake City, UT

13h • Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist provides anesthetic services for patients at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. The role includes pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; anesthesia induction, maintenance, and emergence; post-anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support; and emergency response. The CRNA develops and implements anesthesia plans for local, regional, general, and monitored anesthesia, both in and outside the operating room, and prescribes appropriate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative orders and medications. The position emphasizes high-quality, evidence-based anesthesia care, patient safety, satisfaction, outcomes, and efficiency. The CRNA collaborates with healthcare professionals, supports staff education, and may serve as a preceptor or adjunct clinical faculty for trainees. The role is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program requirements and approval; the potential award is up to $200,000 for an eligibility period of one to five years. The position has rotating shifts including days, nights, weekends, and holidays; compressed or flexible scheduling is authorized. Telework is not available and the position is not virtual. Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized.

Requirements

• Master’s or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a professional nursing anesthesia school accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs when the applicant completed the program.
• Maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice as a certified nurse anesthetist or equivalent in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Maintain current certification from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists or an equivalent certification recognized by the Council on Accreditation.
• For Nurse II, meet the basic education requirement; no experience is required.
• For Nurse III, meet the basic education requirement and have one year of specialized certified nurse anesthetist experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade level.
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to perform pre-anesthetic assessment and history, obtain and document informed consent, formulate patient-specific anesthesia plans, administer anesthetics, monitor and respond to physiologic changes, and transfer care effectively.
• Demonstrate ability to provide emergency airway management, administer fluids and medications, insert and manage invasive lines, and use advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current anesthesia research, practice guidelines, pharmacology, equipment, safety protocols, infection control, quality improvement, and documentation.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except when appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy because qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English is required for direct patient care.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and applicable background/security investigation; selected applicants are subject to pre-employment drug testing and required onboarding procedures.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required; a probationary period may be required.
• For Nurse III, demonstrate ability to manage anesthesia for complex procedures, adapt techniques and equipment to varied settings, contribute to trainee education, participate in quality auditing and administration, represent the department on interdisciplinary teams, and support a just safety culture.
• The role involves physical duties associated with direct patient care, including potentially prolonged walking, standing, or sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending or kneeling, and use of safe patient-handling and mobility protocols.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to achieve shared goals for patient care, safety, and welfare.
• Provide anesthetic services, including pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation, anesthesia induction, maintenance and emergence, post-anesthesia care, peri-anesthetic and clinical support, and emergency response.
• Develop and implement comprehensive anesthesia plans for patients receiving local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia inside or outside the operating room.
• Ensure anesthesia services throughout the facility promote patient safety, satisfaction, quality outcomes, and efficiency.
• Serve as a resource for staff education and be willing to precept and provide adjunct clinical instruction to healthcare trainees.
• Develop and implement evidence-based practices for high-quality anesthesia care.
• Prescribe appropriate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative orders and medications.
• Exemplify the ICARE core values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.
• At the Nurse III level, contribute to quality audits, departmental administrative processes, interdisciplinary guidelines, and safety culture as applicable.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), with potential loan repayment of up to $200,000 subject to eligibility and program approval
• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards
• 50 days of paid time off per year, comprising 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting
• Federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement
• Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level