Nurse Practitioner vs. CRNA | What Is the Difference? | Maryville Nursing (2024)

FAQs

Nurse Practitioner vs. CRNA | What Is the Difference? | Maryville Nursing? ›

Nurse practitioners are certified through organizations including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), while CRNAs are certified through the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

Both a CRNA and a Nurse Practitioner are advance practice designations. Their specialized bodies of knowledge are simply different. CRNA programs are more competitive for admission than the average NP program, and the CRNA average wage is higher, but that isn't why one is picked over the other.

While the DNP and DNAP both prepare students to be practicing CRNAs, the DNP is the only degree recognized as “terminal”. If you want to pursue a faculty position at some point, the DNP is preferred, as it qualifies you for tenure.

Although both registered nurses and nurse practitioners focus on patient observation and care, the largest difference between the two roles is that NPs are permitted to prescribe treatments, order tests, and diagnose patients—duties normally performed by physicians—whereas RNs are not.

5 To be clear, CRNAs do not have the authority to write prescriptions.

Anesthesiologists attend medical school, complete four years of residency, and hold a medical (MD) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) degree. They supervise anesthesia assistants and CRNAs. Anesthesiologists can practice independently and supervise CRNAs and anesthesia assistants anywhere they practice.

Positions that require doctoral nursing degrees include certain types of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), as well as leadership positions such as chief nursing officer or director of nursing. In a traditional hospital setting, the chief nursing officer is the topmost nursing position.

The highest paid nurse is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Professionals in this field earn as low as USD 101,000 and as high as USD 174,000, with an average salary of USD 124,00.

Is CRNA a master's or Doctorate? ›

Becoming a CRNA requires more time and education than some other nursing specialties. While a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is currently the minimum degree requirement, the profession will require a doctoral degree by 2025, per the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).

There are two common types of doctoral degrees for aspiring CRNAs: the Doctorate of Nurse Practice (DNP) and the Doctorate of Nursing Anesthesia Practice (DNAP).

It's important to note that both PAs and NPs are mid-level medical professionals. They're basically at the same level. However, NPs can work independently in many states that PAs can't. So, it places nurse practitioners above physical assistants in terms of practice independence.

Amid Provider Shortage, California Doctors Oppose Expanding Nurse Practitioner Abilities. The California Medical Association is concerned that nurse practitioners lack the training to provide adequate care without the supervision of a physician. July 3, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.

Research has found that patients under the care of NPs have fewer unnecessary hospital readmissions, fewer potentially preventable hospitalizations, higher patient satisfaction and fewer unnecessary emergency room visits than patients under the care of physicians.

MSN vs DNP

In a nutshell, MSN students are trained for direct practice and patient care, while DNP students are trained in healthcare research and policy in addition to this patient care. As such, the DNP is often considered to be a terminal role for nurses, and the highest level of education that one might pursue.

While the new certification requirements do not specify the type of doctoral degree CRNAs must pursue, the most common choice likely will be the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Other options will be: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Doctor of Education (EdD)

$190,500 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $348,000 is the 75th percentile.