Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist-Intermittent

Veterans Health Administration • San Francisco, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), an Advanced Practice Nurse, provides comprehensive, specialized anesthesia care to Veterans. The CRNA performs pre-anesthesia assessments, develops and implements individualized anesthesia care plans, administers and manages anesthesia, continuously monitors patients, and provides post-anesthesia and acute pain management. Services support surgical and diagnostic procedures, including procedures at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

The CRNA collaborates with anesthesiologists, surgeons, proceduralists, nurses, and other members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to provide safe, effective, evidence-based, Veteran-centered care. The role requires clinical judgment in caring for patients with varying levels of medical complexity and responding to changes in condition and perioperative emergencies. The CRNA may provide care inside or outside the operating room, as appropriate to facility services and clinical privileges, and prescribes or orders medications and treatments when authorized by VA policy, state licensure, and clinical privileges.

This is an open continuous announcement scheduled to remain open until December 18, 2026. The initial application cut-off is November 3, 2026, with subsequent cut-offs every two weeks; qualified applicants may be considered as vacancies arise. The position is intermittent, not to exceed one year, and is not eligible for telework or relocation/recruitment incentives. It is not a virtual position. Salary depends on qualifications and is based on a full-time schedule: Grade 2, $194,127–$258,180 annually; Grade 3, $211,598–$281,415 annually. The announcement also notes competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English for direct patient care.
• An active, current, full, unrestricted license to practice as a nurse anesthetist or equivalent in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; the announcement describes a temporary appointment exception for qualifying graduate nurse technicians who lack required licensure or certification.
• Current certification by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) or an equivalent nurse anesthetist certification recognized by the Council on Accreditation (COA), subject to the stated temporary-appointment exception.
• A master's or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia from a professional nursing anesthesia school accredited by the COA when the program was completed.
• For Nurse II/entry-level qualification, no experience is required; applicants must meet the basic education requirement and demonstrate the listed entry-level anesthesia knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• For Nurse III qualification, one year of specialized APN (CRNA) experience equivalent to the APN (CRNA) II grade level, in addition to the basic education requirement.
• Ability to perform patient-specific anesthesia planning, pre-anesthetic history and physical examinations, informed-consent processes, data interpretation, and communication of risks, benefits, and options.
• Knowledge of current anesthesia research, practice guidelines, techniques, pharmacology, equipment, safety protocols, and quality improvement.
• Ability to administer anesthetics, detect and manage physiologic changes, respond to emergencies, and assess readiness for transfer of care.
• Ability to provide collaborative anesthesia care and maintain appropriate positioning, monitoring, infection control, and documentation.
• For Nurse III, ability to manage anesthesia for a broad range of complex procedures, adapt care to patient response and comorbidities, work across challenging locations and equipment, and contribute to post-operative care programs.
• For Nurse III, ability to contribute to trainee education, quality auditing, departmental processes, interdisciplinary guidelines, and safety culture.
• Subject to urinalysis for illegal drug use if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Subject to background and security investigation, onboarding requirements, and possible probationary period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Participation in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Health Care Personnel.
• May be required to travel occasionally and to be flexible in schedule and assignments.
• Physical capabilities include visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, manual dexterity, and ability to potentially spend long periods walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive pre-anesthesia assessments, including review of medical history, medications, allergies, laboratory and diagnostic results, physical status, and procedural needs.
• Develop individualized anesthesia plans based on each patient's condition, procedure, risk factors, and clinical needs.
• Provide anesthesia services to inpatient and outpatient surgical and procedural patients.
• Administer and manage general, regional, local, intravenous, and monitored anesthesia care or sedation within approved scope of practice and clinical privileges.
• Perform anesthesia induction, maintenance, emergence, and recovery while assessing patients' physiologic responses.
• Select and administer anesthetic agents, analgesics, adjunct medications, intravenous fluids, and other medications needed for safe anesthesia care.
• Establish and maintain non-invasive and invasive monitoring of cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, and other physiologic parameters.
• Assess and manage airways, including intubation, ventilation, extubation, and emergency airway interventions as clinically indicated.
• Recognize and promptly manage changes in patient condition, anesthesia-related complications, and perioperative emergencies.
• Provide emergency response, including airway management, resuscitation, and BLS/ACLS interventions when required.
• Provide post-anesthesia care, assessing recovery, pain, nausea and vomiting, hemodynamic stability, and appropriate disposition.
• Conduct post-anesthesia follow-up and assess patients for complications or additional anesthesia-related needs.
• Provide anesthesia services inside and outside the operating room as appropriate to facility services and clinical privileges.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare professionals and contribute to perioperative decision-making as a member of the anesthesia care team.
• Prescribe or order preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative medications and treatments when authorized by applicable policy, licensure, and privileges.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of assessments, care plans, medications, procedures, monitoring, interventions, and outcomes.
• Contribute to quality improvement and audit processes, safety practices, interdisciplinary guidelines, and—at the applicable grade—education, mentoring, or administrative processes.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Regular salary increases
• Potential performance awards
• Federal employee benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level