Currently, certified registered nurse anesthetists provide a large percent of anesthesia services nationwide annually, especially in rural areas.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 38% growth in nurse anesthetist employment from 2022 to 2032, likely due to increased demand for healthcare services, including elective surgeries.
Here are seven states expanding their nurse anesthesia workforce through the addition of new educational programs:
California
University of California Davis is slated to launch a nurse anesthesiology program, positioning it to become the first school in the University of California system to operate one.
Illinois
The University of Illinois Chicago plans to launch a nurse anesthesia program with the help of a $10 million donation. The UIC hospital had demonstrated a growing need for CRNAs amid workforce shortages and conducted feasibility studies on the possibility of adding them.
Chicago-based Rosalind Franklin University's nurse anesthesia program has earned full accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The specialty program aims to address specialist shortages across Illinois and Wisconsin.
Idaho
Meridian-based Idaho State University School of Nursing will begin offering the first nurse anesthesia degree program in Idaho.
Alabama
The University of Mobile (Ala.) celebrated the first graduates of its doctor of nurse anesthesia practice program.
Texas
Fairfield (Conn.) University has expanded its nurse anesthesia program to its campus in Austin, Texas. The program has expanded to Texas to address a growing need for more CRNAs in the state.
Delaware
Wilmington, Del.-based ChristianaCare and Wilmington University partnered to launch Delaware's first CRNA program. The Delaware Nurse Anesthesiology Program at ChristianaCare and Wilmington University is a full-time, 36-month program leading to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree
Tennessee
Brent Dunworth, DNP, CRNA, was named the director of the new nurse anesthesia program at Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. The program is slated to launch in 2026