With all the different specialties in healthcare, some get overlooked or may be under the radar. An unusual and often overlooked career choice in healthcare is that of a certified registered nurse anesthetist or doctorate in nurse anesthesia. While not many people know about these healthcare careers, they play a vital role within the healthcare team. This field is growing rapidly and the likelihood of coming into contact with a nurse anesthetist during a hospital stay is increasing. Knowing the history, education, responsibilities and career prospects of a certified registered nurse anesthetist or doctorate in nurse anesthesia can help you understand their very specific role in patient care. Registered certified nurse anesthetists and doctorates in nurse anesthesia known as CRNAs and DNAPs also first appeared in the healthcare industry about one hundred and fifty years ago. The first official CRNA in the United States was Sister Mary Bernard, who worked for St. Vincent Hospital in 1877. St. Vincent Hospital, known for being a religious hospital, was the first to provide education and training to CRNAs in 1909. course lasted only about seven months. (AANA 2009), (History of Nurse Anesthesia Practice. 2010, May), (Thatcher, VS 1953). Another very important woman in the history of certified nurse anesthetists was Alice Magaw. His successes opened doors for nurse anesthetists. She has pioneered innovation and helped evolve the role of the anesthesia nurse. Although he achieved many accomplishments, his main accomplishment was mastering the open-drop inhalation anesthesia technique that used chloroform and ether as a sedative. For this great achievement she was given the...... half of the sheet ......13). How baby boomers consume healthcare [infographic]. Concordia University: 2013. Retrieved from: http://online.csp.edu/blog/healthcare/how-baby-boomers-consume-health-careKoch, E., Downey, P., Kelly, J.W., & Wilson, W ( 2001). The case of teaching history to nurse anesthetist students. AANA Journal, 69(3), 179. Nurse anesthetist salary by state. (2012, November). Retrieved from http://www.all-crna-schools.com/nurse-anesthetist-salary.htmlStomberg, M., Sjöström, B., & Haljamäe, H. (2003). The role of the nurse anesthetist in planning postoperative pain management. AANA Journal, 71(3), 197.Thatcher, VS (1953) History of anesthesia, with emphasis on the nurse specialist. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company.US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012, May). Professional employment statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291151.htm