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In olden days, surgical patients had to bite the bullet to endure pain.

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Now, nurse anesthetists can prevent patients from feeling discomfort,

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and then wake them up when surgery is all over.

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Nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia to numb parts of the body

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or put patients in a sleep-like state during operations,

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diagnostic procedures, or therapeutic procedures.

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Nurse anesthetists know that everyone is different, so they talk with patients about their allergies and current medications…

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and evaluate other factors like height and weight…

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to determine the correct dosage for their patient.

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They choose and prepare appropriate anesthetics,

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and administer them by various methods, including IVs and inhaled gases.

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Throughout a procedure and during recovery,

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they carefully monitor their patient’s vital signs

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from their pupil dilation to their heart rate, and adjust anesthesia accordingly.

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They may work in dental or doctor’s office, keeping standard business hours.

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Those who work at hospitals often work some nights, weekends, and holidays.

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Depending on state regulations and the environment in which they work,

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nurse anesthetists may work independently or on a team

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under the direction of an anesthesiologist.

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To enter the field, they must have a master’s degree in nursing

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and a nurse anesthetist certification.

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Whatever the work setting, these professionals share the goal of

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making a patient’s trip to the doctor quick and painless.