How to become a nurse in college?

How many years of college does it take to become a nurse anesthetic? ?

• How long does it take and the pros & cons of the job please?

• Answer:

  First, a correction. An "anesthetic" is a type of anesthesia medication. A nurse "anesthetist" is a nurse who specializes in caring for patients while they are receiving anesthesia. A CRNA is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, which is an Advance Practice Nurse who has gone through a regular RN program, earned a Bachelor's degree (4 years) and then attended graduate school to earn a Master's of Science in Nursing (another 2-3 years) or a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (another 2-3 years beyond Master's). Pros: Best paying salary in nursing (apart from high-level administration), starting wages usually greater than $100k per year. In most areas of the country with decent metropolitan cities there is plenty of job availability. High-level of responsibility, you literally hold patients' lives in your hands. It can be very stressful. Cons: CRNA programs only take the best of the best students. You need a stellar GPA (don't bother if you're less than a 3.75), at least 1-3 years experience as an RN working in a critical care unit (ICU, PICU, NICU), and it's a very difficult curriculum. It's heavy on chemistry, pharmacology, etc., so if you aren't exceptionally strong in these areas you will have a hard time.