Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist - CRNA

Veterans Health Administration•Madison, WI

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), also described as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Certified Nurse Anesthetist, provides advanced clinical practice, consultation, and management in inpatient and outpatient settings. The role administers anesthesia to patients with a range of health complexities and includes direct patient care, administration, education, and research. The CRNA practices within their education, training, certification, state license, clinical privileges or scope of practice, and local VA Medical Center bylaws. The position emphasizes high-quality, timely, safe care and advancement of the Veterans Affairs mission. The CRNA develops and implements anesthesia plans for patients requiring local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia, both inside and outside the operating room. Services span pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; anesthesia induction, maintenance, and emergence; post-anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support; and emergency response. The CRNA may prescribe appropriate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative orders and medications as permitted by privileges or scope of practice. CRNAs with applicable DEA registration may independently prescribe controlled substances in these settings. The position collaborates with healthcare professionals, supports staff education, and may serve as a preceptor or adjunct clinical faculty for trainees. It also develops and implements evidence-based practices and contributes to patient safety, quality improvement, and better outcomes and efficiency. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; telework is not authorized. Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates, while permanent change of station is not authorized. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval. The potential award is up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years; applicants must submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply. The VA total rewards package includes competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential performance awards, 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, and 11 federal holidays), a traditional federal pension with five-year vesting, a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions, and federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance. Many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

Requirements

Master's or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) when completed.
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; license must be maintained.
Current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), or equivalent nurse anesthetist certification recognized by the COA; certification must be maintained.
Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
Must undergo required background/security investigation and, if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position, pre-employment urinalysis.
Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program for VA healthcare personnel.
Must complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
Nurse II entry-level grade: meets the basic nurse anesthetist education requirements; no experience is required, and the applicant must demonstrate the stated entry-level knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Nurse III grade: meets the basic nurse anesthetist education requirements and has at least one year of specialized APN (CNA) experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade level, along with the stated Nurse III knowledge, skills, and abilities.
For Nurse II, demonstrate ability to apply professional nursing principles while respecting patient autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety; use current research, guidelines, techniques, pharmacology, and equipment; and provide safe, collaborative anesthesia care.
For Nurse II, demonstrate skill in pre-anesthetic assessment and consent, patient-specific anesthesia planning, administering anesthetics, managing physiologic changes, handoffs, emergency response, patient monitoring, infection control, documentation, and quality improvement.
For Nurse III, demonstrate ability to manage anesthesia for complex procedures and varied anesthetizing locations, adapt techniques to patient response and comorbidities, contribute to trainee education, support quality audits and administrative processes, represent the department on interdisciplinary teams, and promote a systems-focused safety culture.
Physical demands include walking, bending, stooping, some lifting in direct patient care, and potentially extended periods of sitting.
Applicants relying on education to meet qualifications must submit a transcript with their application.
Applicants must complete all application requirements described in the announcement's Required Documents section.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with healthcare professionals to achieve shared goals for patient care, safety, and welfare.
Provide anesthetic services including pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; induction, maintenance, and emergence; post-anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support; and emergency response.
Develop and implement comprehensive anesthesia plans for patients requiring local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia in and outside the operating room.
Deliver high-quality anesthesia services across the facility to promote patient safety and satisfaction and improve outcomes and efficiency.
Provide staff education and serve, as appropriate, as a preceptor or adjunct clinical faculty for healthcare trainees.
Develop and implement evidence-based practices for high-quality anesthesia care.
Prescribe appropriate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative orders and medications within applicable privileges or scope of practice.
Demonstrate the VA ICARE values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.
Obtain, document, and verify informed anesthesia consent; perform pre-anesthetic histories and physicals; manage preoperative consults; and interpret data.
Formulate patient-specific anesthetic plans and explain relevant risks, benefits, and options to patients.
Administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics.
Detect and treat anesthesia- or surgery-related physiologic changes and maintain homeostasis.
Assess patients for appropriate transfer of care and communicate essential patient information to other providers.
Participate in patient positioning, physiologic monitoring, infection control, and anesthesia documentation.
Respond to emergencies through airway management, fluid and medication administration, invasive line insertion and management, and advanced cardiac life support techniques.
Participate in quality improvement and safety practices, including reviewing anesthesia care, reporting unsafe conditions or errors, and supporting a just culture.
At the Nurse III level, contribute to quality assurance, shared governance, committee work, interdisciplinary guidelines, auditing processes, and educational activities as applicable.

Benefits

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with a potential award up to $200,000.
Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Potential performance awards.
50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days annual leave, 13 days 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 insurance.
Federal vision insurance.
Federal dental insurance.
Federal term life insurance.
Federal long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.
Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates.