CRNA / Advanced Practice Nurse

Reporting and scope

Reports clinically to a physician leader or anesthesia department head, and administratively to a Director of Nursing or clinical manager. Scope is limited to the practitioner's own patients within state licensure and hospital credentialing.

Core responsibilities

• Assesses, diagnoses and treats patients within the state scope of practice
• Administers anesthesia and monitors patients (nurse anesthetists)
• Prescribes medications where state law allows
• Documents care for billing to Medicare, Medicaid and insurers
• Meets clinic or department productivity and quality targets
• Keeps licensure, certification and hospital privileges current

How it differs

The Licensed Practical Nurse works under supervision with a narrower scope and no independent practice. The Physician / Clinical Practitioner and Surgeon are physicians; the Director of Nursing manages the nursing team rather than seeing patients.

By organization size

In community health centers and rural hospitals advanced practice nurses often serve as primary providers with wide independence. Large academic medical centers use them in specialized teams, sometimes with a lead APN role.