From the website: www.healthgrades.com

Tonight, I was looking at the listing for an acquaintance of mine on this website and the job description that was listed for Nurse Anesthetist is:

Nurse anesthetists are registered nurses who provide anesthesia and related care before, during and after surgery, and during therapeutic, diagnostic and obstetrical procedures. Anesthesia is the delivery of medicine to prevent you from feeling pain during surgery, childbirth, or other medical procedure. Nurse anesthetists work with a specialty doctor called an anesthesiologist to provide pain management, monitor vital signs, and provide emergency services, such as airway management. While under the guidance of an anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetists perform a physical assessment, participate in preoperative procedures, prepare anesthetic management, administer anesthesia, maintain anesthesia during the operation, and oversee recovery from anesthesia in the recovery room of patient care unit.

The three main forms of anesthesia are: local anesthesia that numbs only the part of the body that is hurting or being worked on; regional anesthesia that numbs a large area such as an entire limb or entire lower half of the body; and general anesthesia that temporarily puts you into a deep sleep so that you don’t feel pain during surgery.

Nurse anesthesia is considered an advanced clinical nursing specialty, requiring a bachelor’s degree in nursing, Registered Nurse licensure, a minimum of one year acute care experience (in an ICU or Emergency Room), and successful completion of an accredited nurse anesthesia education program and certification examination.
*bolding is mine