Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Avera Health is seeking a skilled Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist to join our Healthcare & Medical Services team. In this role, you will provide safe, compassionate anesthesia care across a variety of surgical and procedural settings, collaborating closely with surgeons, anesthesiologists, and clinical staff. Responsibilities include patient assessment, anesthesia planning, induction, maintenance, and post-anesthesia management. Avera Health offers a supportive, mission-driven environment focused on patient outcomes, professional growth, and teamwork while serving communities across the Upper Midwest with respect and dignity.

Responsibilities

• Provide safe, high-quality anesthesia care for patients undergoing surgical, obstetric, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures in collaboration with anesthesiologists, surgeons, and other providers.
• Conduct comprehensive pre-anesthesia assessments, including medical history review, physical examination, risk stratification, and patient education regarding anesthesia options and perioperative expectations.
• Develop, implement, and adjust individualized anesthesia care plans using evidence-based practice and Avera Health protocols.
• Administer general, regional, monitored anesthesia care (MAC), and sedation, selecting appropriate anesthetic agents, techniques, and adjunctive medications.
• Continuously monitor patients' physiological status using advanced monitoring equipment and clinical assessment throughout anesthesia administration and recovery.
• Manage airway, ventilation, hemodynamics, fluid therapy, and pain control before, during, and after procedures, intervening promptly in response to changes in patient condition.
• Provide post-anesthesia care, including emergence, pain management, nausea/vomiting control, and transition to PACU or appropriate care setting with detailed handoffs.
• Respond to anesthesia-related and perioperative emergencies, including airway compromise, hemodynamic instability, and code situations, following ACLS/PALS protocols as applicable.
• Collaborate closely with surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and allied health staff to ensure coordinated, patient-centered care in a respectful and compassionate manner.
• Participate in preoperative huddles, case reviews, and quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient safety and clinical outcomes.
• Document all aspects of anesthesia care accurately and timely in the electronic health record, complying with regulatory, legal, and institutional standards.
• Educate patients and families about anesthesia options, risks, benefits, and postoperative expectations, honoring Avera Health's mission of hospitality and stewardship.
• Contribute to professional development activities such as staff education, mentoring of students or new CRNAs, and participation in continuing education to maintain certification.
• Uphold infection prevention, safety, and compliance standards in all anesthetizing locations, including operating rooms, procedure rooms, and off-site locations.

Required Skills

• Anesthesia administration and management
• Pre-anesthesia assessment and risk stratification
• General, regional, and neuraxial anesthesia techniques
• Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) and procedural sedation
• Airway management including advanced airway devices
• Hemodynamic monitoring and management
• Ventilator management and respiratory support
• Perioperative pain management and multimodal analgesia
• Management of anesthesia-related complications and emergencies
• Intraoperative and post-anesthesia patient monitoring
• Pharmacology of anesthetic and adjunct medications
• Interpretation of EKG, blood gases, and hemodynamic data
• Use of anesthesia machines and monitoring equipment
• Electronic health record documentation
• Interdisciplinary communication and collaboration
• Patient and family education
• Quality and patient safety practices in anesthesia
• Infection prevention and control in perioperative settings