How to Become a CRNA in Oregon in 2025
by Bill Prosser, DNAP, MSN, CRNA, with contributions by Jaime Handley
What is a CRNA?
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice nurse with a doctoral-level degree who has passed the National Certification Examination for Nurse Anesthetists. A CRNA specializes in anesthesia and can work independently or side-by-side with anesthesiologists, dentists or any licensed care practitioner requiring anesthetic services. CRNAs tend to work independently in rural settings, with more team collaboration in urban areas.
Why become a CRNA?
Becoming a CRNA begins with a spark of interest. For example, a nurse with a particular interest in physiology and pharmacology who wants to take that interest to the limits of their licensure will tend to be drawn toward nurse anesthesia.
CRNAs have high levels of independence and decision-making in their roles, are nationally in high demand, and have the highest earning potential in nurse careers.
In Oregon, CRNAs can work independently and have “prescriptive authority,” meaning they can write prescriptions for patients under their care. This also means that CRNAs in Oregon can run independent pain clinics because their license authorizes them to both prescribe medications and perform specialized procedures involving advanced imaging (fluoroscope).
How much do CRNAs earn?
While professional CRNA sites state the earnings of a CRNA in Oregon at around $272,000 and the Bureau of Labor Statistics at around $215,000, it would be reasonable to find CRNAs earning $300,000 to $400,000 in Oregon.
Though school costs are high – and you can’t work while in school – I have seen disciplined students who don’t expand their budget to their post-program paycheck have their loans paid off in as few as four years.
Steps to Becoming a CRNA in Oregon
Becoming a CRNA can take seven to 10 years – from beginning your bachelor’s degree to completing your CRNA education – and beyond, depending on your experience and career trajectory. There are some variables that can affect this. For one example, when it comes time to gain critical care experience (see #2 below), you may need to be willing to relocate to a larger city.
Imagine that you’ve earned your bachelor’s in nursing (BSN) and are now working in Salem, but the only place with an available ICU spot is in Atlanta. If you decide to wait for a spot with an ICU in Oregon, it may take a year or two before one becomes available, which would mean waiting longer to gain the necessary experience to apply to a CRNA program. Relocating could be a time-saving step.
An Overview of the Journey
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Earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (4-5 years)
To be eligible to apply for CRNA programs, you need to have a nursing license and have earned a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field with at least a 3.0 GPA. Most programs prefer applicants to hold a bachelor's in nursing. Still, some programs accept nurses with degrees in science-related fields who have attended transitional programs that allow them to graduate with a master's degree in nursing.
However, it can be challenging to gain the clinical skills you’ll need to move into a CRNA career in a two-year master’s program. You can check with various CRNA programs to see what type of degrees will make you the most competitive candidate for their program and if they have bridge programs available.
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Gain critical care experience (1-5 years)
Before applying to any CRNA program, you must have at least one year of critical care experience to demonstrate that you are comfortable in fast-paced settings caring for patients with complex medical needs. While you must have one year of ICU experience, I find that most CRNA applicants have three to five years of critical care experience.
For example, can you manage patients on ventilators, work with vasoactive medications and respond to critical care crises? Military medical experience is also a bonus, as it showcases your skills in crisis management. Seek out high-level ICU experience to prove your readiness and help you succeed once you get into a CRNA program.
While it’s a nice idea to be in a rural area like Baker City or Burns, Oregon, you won’t be able to gain the critical care experience in a rural setting. Instead, consider places like Salem, Springfield, Medford or Portland. These are the places where you’d need to be to get the experience required for entry into a competitive CRNA program.
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Job shadowing (6 months to a year; 20-80 hours)
Shadowing is an opportunity to get firsthand exposure and the inside track to the work life of a practicing CRNA. I recommend that you not just spend a few hours shadowing but intentionally build relationships with various CRNAs to gain a holistic picture of what it’s like to work full time as a CRNA.
Here are a few ways to find shadowing opportunities:
- You can contact local hospitals, as many have systems set up for shadowing within their surgical departments.
- If you are in a more rural setting, contact an outpatient surgical center to see if they may have someone available to shadow.
- You can also contact local CRNA programs to see if their clinical site coordinator has leads.
- Reach out to the student reps for various professional organizations (such as ORANA) to see if they can connect you with a shadow opportunity.
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Maintain basic certifications
Maintaining your ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) demonstrates to CRNA programs that you are trained and competent to manage complex critical care situations.
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CCRN certification
Some programs require that you take a certification exam called the CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse). This certification demonstrates to programs that you can navigate the complex classes you’ll take in critical care nursing and demonstrates your readiness for CRNA programs.
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Apply to a CRNA program (1 year)
Begin your application process by researching various programs. Large cities may offer more opportunities to complete clinical rotations in critical care settings without traveling. Consider this when choosing where to apply.
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Complete a CRNA program (3 years)
Once admitted, you’ll spend three years completing your CRNA program: one didactic (in-class learning) year and two clinical rotation years. As such, you will spend time in the classroom and working alongside practicing CRNAs.
During your CRNA program, you can expect to take classes in advanced sciences – such as anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology – as well as ethics, safety and evidence-based practice.
You’ll also take various classes in anesthesia pharmacology and principles of anesthesia, as well as research, statistics and data analysis. The didactic (classroom) portion of your program is meant to prepare you for the work you will do in your various clinical rotations/residencies.
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Pass the National Certification Examination
This exam is administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). It is the certifying exam you’ll need to pass as your final step in becoming a CRNA and beginning to practice in your chosen healthcare setting. Once you pass, you will apply for a license through the Oregon State Board of Nursing.
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Choose a practice area and start working!
Your clinical rotations will help you define the practice area where you hope to work. This is also a great time to reach out to any networking connections you made during your program or while shadowing.
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, CRNAs can work in various practice areas, from helping in operations pre-op through post-op, OB pain management, interventional pain management and palliative care pain management, to name a few.
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Professional support
Once you’ve graduated from your CRNA program, it’s time to invest in professional organizations for networking and support. First, there’s the Oregon Association of Nurse Anesthetists or ORANA, the primary professional association for Oregon CRNAs and a subset of the national organization, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. Several other national groups are also available to CRNAs, such as the American Society for Enhanced Recovery.
Since most of your professional success will be decided by your ability to network with like-minded colleagues, when you join organizations and go to meetings, you’ll find people to connect with who will help sustain you for the long haul of your career. This camaraderie provides the professional support you’ll need and helps develop resilience as you share with and learn from other CRNAs working in various settings.
Possible Challenges
How hard is it to become a CRNA?
Becoming a CRNA is currently the most demanding specialty in nursing. The Council on Accreditation has said they would like to limit student work hours during training to a 65-hour work week. When I was in school, it was more like 100 hours per week, so there is a recognition of how demanding it can be. It’s a taxing schedule with a large clinical commitment.
Once your didactic year is completed, most of your education is delivered via clinical rotations/residency in the field. Most CRNA programs are “front-loaded,” meaning you take your theory in year one, and over the next two years you transition to being almost wholly clinical. You’re also writing your doctoral project at that time. For those interested in becoming a CRNA, it’s important to understand how full and taxing the three-year program journey will be.
In addition, as of January 2025, you will need a doctorate to be certified to work as a CRNA. This change was made due to increased demand for advanced education and the reality of the complex cases you will be working with. This is a move that other healthcare professions have already made, such as pharmacy and physical therapy. While some may see it as a barrier, it’s also an opportunity to gain maximum preparation before moving into practice.
How much does it cost to become a CRNA?
Generally, tuition to become a CRNA is between $120,000 to $180,000 over three years.
Keep in mind that it’s not possible to work during your program. You are fully committed to your education. Most people take out loans, get scholarships or do military programs to make it possible to complete their degree.
One hidden educational cost that you may need to factor in is possible travel during your rotation years. This can be problematic, for example, if you have been working somewhere as a nurse for a number of years and own a house that you need to maintain. You may have to look at renting it out during your last two years. In the end, though, the return on investment of a CRNA education, especially if you start young, will be very high.
You’ll be best set up for financial success if you go into your education with eyes wide open and a solid financial plan. The students I’ve seen move into school with a solid financial plan have done well with their long-term success in the field. If you keep your spending low when you graduate and use your extra earnings to pay off school, by year 20, you can have a very comfortable financial situation.
Part of succeeding in your professional career as a CRNA is managing your finances well so that you can focus on your work. On the flip side, if you go into your CRNA career primarily for the financial benefit rather than for professional and personal growth, you run the risk of being a poor clinician and making poor financial choices.
Choosing a CRNA Program
What should you look for in a CRNA program?
It’s imperative to look for a program with quality clinical rotation assignments. Do they provide the opportunity to work with independent CRNAs doing interesting work? For example, if you will function independently within a hospital as the sole anesthesia provider post-graduation, you’ll need a robust OB anesthesia experience to learn how to do nerve blocks.
You’ll also want to look at the availability of more challenging classes. Does the program have opportunities for you to attain a deep understanding of physiology and pharmacology beyond what you already know as a working nurse to help you manage anesthesia in the operating room? Does your education help you understand the “why” behind different decision pathways to provide the best patient outcomes?
As you ask these questions, you can connect with graduates of various programs who have worked in the field for a few years and ask them how they feel their particular program prepared them to be successful and competent CRNAs.
How competitive are CRNA Programs?
Typically, 10 to 30% of all applicants are accepted to any given CRNA program. Some institutions have an even lower acceptance rate.
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) usually takes 15 students per year, whereas some programs in larger states, like Texas, may accept more than 120 students yearly.
As competition for admission is fierce, ensuring you have adequate ICU experience and can prove competence for the course load via your GPA and CCRN certification will be imperative. But even though the competition for CRNA programs is high, the opportunity once you’ve graduated is worth it.
Interested in starting your CRNA journey? Check out George Fox University’s hybrid-online CRNA program in Oregon.