CRNAs or certified registered nurse anesthetists are nurses who graduate from nursing school as a registered nurse or a bachelor of sciences in nursing, then obtain critical care nursing experience, and then attend a school for nurse anesthesia for 2 to 3 years where most receive a masters degree and some receive a doctorate. In our practice, CRNAs are supervised by anesthesiologists. They work with an anesthesiologist together as a team so that there are 2 sets of hands providing anesthesia during the critical parts of the anesthetic. All of our CRNAs have excellent training and an enormous amount of experience. CRNAs are at the pinnacle of nurse education and training. To find out more about CRNAs, please click on the following link: American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

AAs or Anesthesiologist Assistants are highly educated allied heath professionals who work under the direction of licensed anesthesiologists to help develop and implement anesthesia care plans. Anesthesiologist Assistants work exclusively within the Anesthesia Care Team environment as described by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). AA's are trained extensively in the delivery and maintenance of quality anesthesia care as well as advanced patient monitoring techniques. 
Anesthesiologist Assistants educational programs are based on an masters degree model and require at least two full academic years. Programs are required to be co-directed by board certified anesthesiologists. AA educational programs accept students who have prior education in the sciences that would qualify the student to pursue careers in medicine, dentistry, or one of the basic medical sciences. Students are taught course work that enhances their basic science knowledge in physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, and biochemistry with special emphasis on the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, nervous, and neuromuscular systems. Clinical instruction educates students extensively in patient monitoring, anesthesia delivery systems, life support systems, and patient assessment as well as in the skills need to provide compassionate, quality care. To find out more about Anesthesiologist Assistants please click on the following link: American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants