Nurse Anesthetist

The CRNA administers anesthesia in both inpatient and outpatient settings to patients of all health complexities. The aspects of practice include direct patient care administration education and research activities.

Major duties and responsibilities of the position:

• Collaborates with a variety of health care professionals to achieve common goals for care safety and welfare of patients.
• Fosters high levels of confidence and satisfaction among patients and staff as well as meet and exceed compliance standards.
• Provides anesthetic services within five general categories to include: pre-anesthesia evaluation and preparation; anesthesia induction maintenance and emergence; post anesthesia care; peri-anesthetic and clinical support functions; and emergency response techniques.
• Develops and implements a comprehensive anesthesia plan of care for patients requiring local regional general and monitored anesthesia both inside and outside the Operating Room (OR) suite.
• Ensures anesthetic services delivered throughout the facility are of the highest quality to promote patient safety satisfaction and improve outcomes and efficiencies.
• Functions as a resource for staff education and willing to be a preceptor and adjunct clinical faculty for health care trainees rotating through the facility.
• Develops and implements evidence-based practices that are essential to the delivery of the highest quality anesthesia care.
• Prescribes appropriate preoperative intra-operative and postoperative orders and medications.
• Exemplifies the ICARE core values of-Integrity Commitment Advocacy Respect and Excellence.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

Pay: Competitive salary regular salary increases potential for performance awards
Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave 13 days of sick leave 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

Work Schedule: M-F 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• English Language accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f) no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 2-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements

• Education: A post-masters certificate or masters or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant:
  • The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or
  • The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
  • NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current full active and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment.
• License and Certification:
  • License. All APN (NAs) must possess and maintain an active current full and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NA in a State Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.
  • Basic Certification. All APN (NAs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared.

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (CNA) assignment that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.
The following Education Experience and Knowledge Skills and Abilities must be met for Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) II:
Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements but do not possess the required APN (CNA) licensure and/or certification may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II as a Nurse Anesthetist on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B).

• Education and Experience Requirement. Meets basic education requirement for an APN (CNA). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (CNAs); no experience is required.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. The following list of knowledge skills and abilities present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level CNA. Entry level into practice may include but are not limited to the following:
  • Ability to translate into anesthesia care the principles of professional nursing practice including the patients rights to autonomy dignity privacy and safety.
  • Knowledge of current research and practice guidelines to frame anesthesia practice including up to date techniques pharmacology and equipment.
  • Ability to obtain document and verify informed anesthesia consent and perform a pre-anesthetic patient history and physical which includes managing pre-operative consults and interpreting data.
  • Ability to formulate a patient-specific anesthetic plan and describe salient anesthetic risks benefits and options to the patient.
  • Ability to administer inhalational regional intravenous local and topical anesthetics.
  • Skill in detecting and treating anesthesia or surgically related physiologic changes and ability to treat accordingly in order to maintain homeostasis.
  • Skill in assessing patient status for appropriateness of transfer of care to another healthcare provider and communicating essential patient information to other providers effectively.
  • Ability to participate in collaborative responsibility for proper patient positioning physiologic monitoring infection control and anesthesia documentation.
  • Skill in responding to emergency situations by providing airway management fluid and medication administration invasive line insertion and management and the use of advanced cardiac life support techniques.
  • Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession (e.g. ultrasound techniques.)
  • Ability to practice anesthesia in an interdisciplinary environment utilizing a collaborative concept of anesthesia care.
  • Knowledge of quality improvement processes to maintain ongoing review and evaluation of anesthesia care to improve outcomes.
  • Ability to demonstrate a practice emphasis on safety current established guidelines and protocols while recognizing the duty to report unsafe conditions or errors.

The following Education Experience and Knowledge Skills and Abilities must be met for Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) III:

• Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for an APN (CNA) AND One year of specialized APN (CNA) experience equivalent to the APN (CNA) II grade level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: Progressively responsible experience in the administration of anesthetics as indicated in the knowledge skills and abilities listed below.
  • Ability to plan administer and manage anesthesia for a broad range of complex surgical procedures skillfully employing continuous assessment and anesthetic adaptation based on patient response and comorbidities. Work assignments will vary by facility.
  • Ability to participate in assignments that are technically challenging encompass a variety of anesthetizing locations and utilize advanced equipment and procedures while adapting techniques to solve various complex anesthesia problems including the development of individualized programs of post-op anesthesia care.
  • Skill in responsibility and accountability to perform to the extent of the CNA standards of practice as a licensed healthcare professional in any model of anesthesia practice.
  • Ability to contribute to the educational mission as a mentor or preceptor providing didactic and clinical instruction in anesthesia to student nurse anesthetists medical and dental residents and other health care trainees.
  • Knowledge to participate in the development implementation and maintenance of auditing processes that ensure and improve the quality and consistency of anesthesia and associated documentation.
  • Ability to contribute to departmental administrative processes through quality assurance shared governance or committee representation as applicable.
  • Ability to serve as a representative on interdisciplinary teams to establish and maintain guidelines and communication.
  • Skill demonstrated in the ability to embrace the safety culture emphasis by continuously assessing for safety risks actively reporting safety concerns and maintaining a just culture by identifying faults in systems rather than individuals.

Physical Requirements: This position includes a level of physicality normally associated with duties performed by certified nurse anesthetist such as direct patient care and potentially long periods of walking standing sitting moderate lifting repeated bending or kneeling.