Table 4.
Differences between certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and anesthesiologist assistants (AAs)
| CRNAs | AAs | |
| Scope of Practice | Can practice in all 50 states and every US territory | Can practice in 18 states |
| Licensed Independent Practitioners in US Military (LIP) | ||
| # Preoperative evaluation | ||
| # General Anesthesia | ||
| # Neuraxial anesthesia | ||
| # Regional anesthesia | ||
| # Pain management | ||
| # Postop management | ||
| # Intravascular access | ||
| Supervision | # During COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services suspended supervision requirements for CRNAs | Supervision by anesthesiologist |
| # Opt out in 18 states requiring no supervision | ||
| # Medical supervision | ||
| # Medical direction | ||
| Income | Mean total annual compensation for full-time CRNAs is over $170,000 in the US | Average annual AA salary is around $100,000 in the US |
| Practice sites | # Hospitals | |
| # Same day surgery centers | ||
| # Offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, and plastic surgeons | ||
| # Pain clinics | ||
| # Critical access hospitals |