CRNA Resume Writing Tips and Sample

If you’re applying for nurse anesthetist jobs, you need a CRNA resume that puts your skills and experience front and center. Whether you’re applying for your first role or your tenth, writing a resume that’s concise yet thoroughly showcases your background can be a tough task. That’s why we’ve put together this guide on resumes for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs).

Now is a great time to work as a CRNA. The job outlook for nurse anesthetists is projected to grow by 9% in the next decade, which is faster than the average for all other occupations. But roles can still be competitive, so you’ll need to convince employers that you’ve got what it takes to get the job done. Below are tips to make your nursing resume stand out, plus a CRNA resume example to inspire your own.

Writing Tips for CRNA Resumes

Follow our tips below for writing or editing your resume:

1) Lead with a CRNA resume objective. These opening sentences help draw in a hiring manager so that they keep reading. Emphasize why you’re applying for the role and what sets you apart, and don’t be afraid to pull phrasing from the CRNA job description to show that you’re the perfect fit. Example:

Dedicated, quick-thinking floor nurse with seven years of experience in a busy cardiac telemetry unit providing anesthesia primarily for open heart surgeries. Unique knowledge of the patients’ progression after surgery helped ease the transition for both patients and coworkers.

2) Customize your resume. Use the same or similar language in your nurse anesthetist resume that you find in the job posting. This strategy of tailoring your resume for each job can help you make it past any initial automated screenings that a company uses to weed out applicable candidates. For example, if the job ad places a strong emphasis on the need for a CRNA who is excellent at working in stressful environments, be sure your resume mentions your experience excelling in high-pressure situations.

3) Make it easy to read. Employers will be skimming through multiple resumes manually or using software, so format for readability. Use bullets, break up information into sections, and try not to write in paragraph form. Generally, nursing resumes are no longer than two pages. You can save more detailed or narrative information for your CRNA cover letter.

CRNA Resume Template

Jacqulene Jankowski, MSN, CRNA

Night Sky, CA, 00000 || Cell: 000-000-0000 || firstlast@email.com || linkedin.com/janko

Certified registered nurse anesthetist with over seven years of experience safely administering anesthesia to high-risk patients during a variety of surgical and emergent procedures. Seeking an interdisciplinary environment to deliver exceptional anesthesia services.

Professional Experience

Pluto Hospital, Nurse Anesthetist, XXXX–present

• Execute individualized anesthesia care plans across a range of surgical specialties, incorporating patient comorbidities, procedural risk, and intraoperative requirements.
• Independently administer general, regional, and monitored anesthesia care for an average of 2–3 cases per day, including induction, maintenance, emergence, and post-anesthesia management.
• Comprehensive preoperative assessments, including medication reconciliation and risk stratification, to ensure patient safety and best possible surgical outcomes.
• Continuously monitor hemodynamic and respiratory status intraoperatively, titrating anesthetic agents and vasoactive medications in response to physiologic changes.
• Manage airways using techniques including endotracheal intubation and alternative airway devices, and respond to intraoperative complications.
• Detailed anesthesia documentation in compliance with institutional policies, regulatory standards, and billing requirements.
• Serve as a clinical preceptor and mentor to 8 nurse anesthesiology students, providing instruction, supervision, and performance feedback in clinical decision-making and skills.

Venus Hospital, Nurse Anesthetist, XXXX–XXXX

• Collaborated closely with anesthesiologists to design and implement anesthesia plans tailored to patient condition, surgical complexity, and procedural goals.
• Administered anesthesia for 1–2 cases per day under anesthesiologist’s supervision, including induction, maintenance, and emergence phases of care.
• Managed patient airways before, during, and after surgery, ensuring adequate ventilation, oxygenation, and hemodynamic stability.
• Responded to on-call and emergent surgical cases, maintaining readiness for rapid assessment and intubation in high-pressure situations.
• Educated patients and families on anesthesia options, risks, benefits, and postoperative expectations to support informed consent and reduce anxiety.

Venus Hospital, Registered Nurse, Surgical-Trauma Intensive Care, XXXX–XXXX

• Delivered high-acuity nursing care to 2–3 critically ill trauma and surgical patients per shift in a 32-bed ICU.
• Titrated vasoactive drips, analgesics, sedatives, and antiarrhythmic medications based on provider orders and real-time patient response.
• Performed continuous hemodynamic monitoring, ventilator management, and neurologic assessments for unstable patients.
• Collaborated with a multidisciplinary care team of intensivists, anesthesiologists, CRNAs, respiratory therapists, CNAs, surgeons, and more to coordinate complex care plans.

Education

Neptune College, Astro, CT, XXXX
Master of Science – Nurse Anesthesia

Saturn University, Star Gazer, NY, XXXX
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Skills

• Advanced anesthesia practice: Skilled in delivering general, regional, and monitored anesthesia care across diverse surgical cases, with a strong focus on patient safety and physiologic stability.
• Comprehensive patient assessment: Expertise in preoperative evaluation, airway assessment, and risk stratification to inform individualized anesthesia plans.
• Intraoperative monitoring and titration: Proficient in continuous hemodynamic and respiratory monitoring, with real-time adjustment of anesthetic and vasoactive agents based on patient response.
• Airway management: Advanced airway management skills, including endotracheal intubation and use of alternative airway devices in routine and complex cases.
• Crisis management: Calm, decisive response to intraoperative and on-call emergencies, drawing on critical care background to manage rapidly evolving clinical situations.
• Clinical education and mentorship: Experienced preceptor for nurse anesthesiology students, providing hands-on instruction, clinical supervision, and constructive performance feedback.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration: Strong communicator who works effectively with the broader care team.
• Patient education and advocacy: Adept at explaining anesthesia plans, risks, and postoperative expectations in a clear, patient-centered manner.
• Documentation and compliance: Thorough and accurate anesthesia documentation aligned with institutional policies, regulatory standards, and billing requirements.

Certifications and Licenses

• CRNA Certification: National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA)
• APRN License: State of California, License #XXXXXX
• RN License: State of California, License #XXXXXX
• BLS: American Heart Association
• ACLS: American Heart Association

CRNA Salary

CRNAs are some of the highest-earning nursing professionals out there: The average CRNA salary is $231,700 per year. Remember that pay varies based on factors like experience, location, job responsibilities, education, and more. The states with the highest salaries for nurse anesthetists are:

• Massachusetts
• Washington
• Vermont
• Alaska
• New Jersey

Make Your CRNA Resume Work for You

Your resume plays a huge role in landing your next job and creating a life that suits you. When you’re confident in your resume, search for CRNA jobs to find the ones that meet your needs.

Ayana Dunn, RN, BSN, contributed to the writing of this article.