Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Veterans Health Administration • Memphis, TN

2d

About The Position

The Advanced Practice Nurse Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) provides a full range of anesthesia services emphasizing quality, timeliness, and advancement of the Veterans Affairs mission. The CRNA practices within their education, training, certification, state license, clinical privileges, and local VA Medical Center bylaws. The role includes advanced clinical practice, consultation, and management, as well as direct patient care, administration education, and research activities. The CRNA administers anesthesia to patients of all health complexities in inpatient and outpatient settings, both inside and outside the operating room.

The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Eligibility is subject to VHA policy and application review. The award may be up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years; former EDRP participants are ineligible.

The position offers a choice of schedules: 06:30–17:00 four days per week, Monday through Friday, with a monthly rotating day off; or 06:30–15:00 Monday through Friday. There is no call, weekend, or holiday work. Compressed/flexible scheduling is available. Telework is unavailable, and the position is not virtual. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

The position requires a master's or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs when completed, along with an active, current, unrestricted U.S. license and current nurse anesthetist certification. Nurse II is the entry grade and requires no experience. Nurse III requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to the Nurse II level. A pre-placement physical examination is required. The job also requires U.S. citizenship, English proficiency, and satisfaction of applicable background, drug-screening, onboarding, and other federal employment requirements.

Requirements

• Master's or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs at the time of completion.
• Active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice as a nurse anesthetist or equivalent in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Current certification from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists or an equivalent certification recognized by the Council on Accreditation.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Basic written and spoken English proficiency.
• Nurse II (entry level): no experience required beyond meeting the basic education requirement.
• Nurse III: one year of specialized nurse anesthetist experience equivalent to the Nurse II grade level.
• Ability to provide anesthesia care that respects patient autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety.
• Knowledge of current anesthesia research, practice guidelines, techniques, pharmacology, and equipment.
• Ability to obtain and document informed consent, conduct pre-anesthetic assessments, manage preoperative consultations, and interpret data.
• Ability to develop patient-specific anesthetic plans and explain risks, benefits, and options.
• Ability to administer inhalational, regional, intravenous, local, and topical anesthetics.
• Skill in recognizing and treating physiological changes and maintaining homeostasis.
• Ability to assess transfer-of-care readiness and communicate effectively with other providers.
• Ability to support patient positioning, physiological monitoring, infection control, and anesthesia documentation.
• Ability to respond to emergencies using airway management, fluids and medications, invasive lines, and advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Ability to provide care responsive to professional developments, including ultrasound techniques, and to practice collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Knowledge of quality improvement and ability to promote safety, follow guidelines, and report unsafe conditions or errors.
• For Nurse III: ability to plan, administer, and manage anesthesia for complex procedures; adapt techniques and develop individualized postoperative anesthesia care; and practice accountably to nurse anesthetist standards.
• For Nurse III: ability to contribute to trainee education, quality and documentation audits, departmental administration, interdisciplinary teams, and safety culture.
• Must pass applicable pre-employment screening and security requirements, complete onboarding, and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• A pre-placement physical examination is required. Physical requirements include recurrent bending, lifting 30 pounds or more, stooping, climbing, twisting, standing and walking for up to eight hours, reaching, stretching, pushing carts and beds, and use of fingers, hands, and legs. The role requires emotional stability and specified corrected vision, color discrimination, and hearing sufficient to respond to alarms; hearing aids are permitted.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to support patient care, safety, and welfare.
• Provide anesthetic services, including pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; induction, maintenance, and emergency anesthesia; post-anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support; and emergency response.
• Develop and implement anesthesia plans for patients requiring local, regional, general, or monitored anesthesia, inside and outside the operating room.
• Deliver high-quality anesthesia services to promote patient safety and satisfaction and improve outcomes and efficiency.
• Prescribe appropriate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative orders and medications.
• Apply professional nursing principles while respecting patients’ autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety.
• Use current research, practice guidelines, techniques, pharmacology, and equipment in anesthesia practice.
• Detect and treat anesthesia- or surgery-related physiological changes to maintain homeostasis.
• Obtain, document, and verify informed anesthesia consent; complete pre-anesthetic histories and physicals; manage preoperative consultations; 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.
• Assess readiness for transfer of care and communicate essential patient information to other providers.
• Participate in patient positioning, physiological 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 ongoing review of anesthesia care, documentation, and outcomes.
• Maintain a safety-focused practice, follow established guidelines and protocols, and report unsafe conditions or errors.
• At the Nurse III level, manage anesthesia for a broad range of complex surgical procedures and adapt care to patient responses and comorbidities.
• At the Nurse III level, contribute to education by mentoring or precepting students and other healthcare trainees.
• At the Nurse III level, contribute to departmental administration, quality assurance, shared governance, committees, and interdisciplinary guidelines as applicable.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000.
• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year, consisting of 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, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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