Supervision Opt-Out
In 2001, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) changed the federal physician supervision rule for nurse anesthetists to allow state governors to opt out of this facility reimbursement requirement (which applies to hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers) by meeting three criteria: 1) consult the state boards of medicine and nursing about issues related to access to and the quality of anesthesia services in the state, 2) determine that opting out is consistent with state law, and 3) determine that opting out is in the best interests of the state’s citizens. To date, 17 states have opted out of the federal physician supervision requirement, most recently Kentucky (April 2012). Additional states do not have supervision requirements in state law and are eligible to opt out should the governors elect to do so.
Education
The minimum education and experience required to become a CRNA include*:
- A baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing or other appropriate major.
- An unencumbered license as a registered professional nurse and/or APRN in the United States or its territories.
- A minimum of one year full-time work experience, or its part-time equivalent, as a registered nurse in a critical care setting.
- Graduation with a minimum of a master’s degree from a nurse anesthesia educational program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. As of August 2016, there were 115 accredited nurse anesthesia programs in the United States utilizing more than 2,100 active clinical sites; 46 nurse anesthesia programs are approved to award doctoral degrees for entry into practice. Nurse anesthesia programs range from 24-42 months, depending on university requirements. Programs include clinical settings and experiences.
- Pass the National Certification Examination following graduation.