Nov
29
Registered nurses are highly in demand, and they make a respectable salary - estimates on different websites range from an average of $40,000 to $60,000 a year base salary, not counting in perks like overtime and shift differentials (when nurses work the night shifts and weekends, they get paid more per hour.)
However, there are several nursing specialties that pay higher - and one of them offers a starting salary of over $100,000 a year.
The highest paid nursing profession is that of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. A starting salary of $130,000 a year would not be unreasonable in some parts of the country.
In order to become a CRNA, you must first become a registered nurse, and then work in critical care for at least a year. Then, you must be accepted into a school that offers a CRNA program. These are challenging and competitive programs that take an average of two years to complete.
In some states, a CRNA may work independently, but in other states they must work under the direction of a physician. CRNAs work in hospitals, in clinics, in maternity wards, and in any setting where anesthesia is needed.
They generally will assess a patient before anesthesia, adminster anesthesia, and monitor the patient continuously while anesthesia is being applied. They will then supervise the patients as they recover from the effects of anesethesia.
CRNAs are highly in demand; upon graduating from a CRNA program, most students will be inundated with offers.
There`s a huge amount of responsibility that goes with the job of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, but if safeguarding the vital functions of patients before, during and after surgery appeals to you, it may be the job for you.
To find out more about nursing school programs in general and CRNA programs in particular, check out all the great resources at http://www.nursingschoolprograms.com
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