Registered nurses make very good money considering that an RN license can be obtained with a two-year degree; they generally start earning in the 40,000s a year. Nationwide, according to Salary.Com, the average salary for a registered nurse is in the mid-$50,000s.



However, there is one advanced nursing degree that can earn considerably more money. In fact, with this degree, a nurse can earn as much as some doctors.

Without question, the highest earning advanced nursing specialty is that of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists earn $100,000 a year and more immediately upon graduation.

There are currently 28,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists practicing in the United States, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is not the same as an anesthesiologist; that specialty requires a degree as a Medical Doctor.

In many states a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist will work with and under the direction of a doctor. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist's duties can include consulting with a patient before surgery to learn their medical history; continuously monitoring the patient while the anesthesia is being administered; and supervising the patient's care and monitoring their condition while they recover from the effects of anesthesia.

To become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, a student must be a licensed registered nurse and have at least a year of working experience in critical care.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist programs are master's degree programs. They often run continuously, for two to two and a half years without a summer break. They are very intensive programs and it is impossible to work full-time during these programs.

Many schools actually require their students to sign an agreement not to work full-time while they are participating in the program. The programs are very competitive, with many students competing for each slot, and the schools that offer these programs want to ensure that the students who attend will be able to successfully complete the program.

It would be challenging to even work part-time during these programs.

They involve a lot of clinical time, in which the CRNA student is working under the direction of a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist must have advanced knowledge of anatomy & physiology, mathematics, drug interactions, and other areas of science.

A CRNA program is expensive, and time-consuming. However, it's also cheaper and faster than medical school.

A CRNA degree is not for everybody, and it is not for every nurse. Given the time and money commitment required to become a CRNA - two to three years without being able to work full-time, plus the cost of the program - nursing students should give careful thought before committing to pursue a CRNA degree.

However, there is a huge demand for CRNA's everywhere in the country, and the pay is excellent. If the job responsibilities of a CRNA sound appealing to you, it's definitely a career to which you should give your consideration.