Anesthesia resources
Nurse Anesthesia by John Nagelhout
This is the go-to textbook for the majority of programs. It is one of the most common textbooks that is utilized to make questions for the nurse anesthesia boards. I was always a fan of this textbook. Back when I was in school, Dr. Nagelhout actually live-streamed his lectures to a number of anesthesia schools including my school. It was awesome to learn Pharmacology right from the man himself.
Handbook of Clinical Anesthesia by Dr. Barash
This is a super deep dive into anesthesia. Some of my colleagues would argue that it’s too dry and detailed, making it a challenging read. While this is a great resource, it may be over the head of most aspiring CRNAs. If you’re up for a challenge, have at it :)
Morgan & Mikhail’s Clinical Anesthesiology by Butterworth
This textbook is commonly referred to as Butterworth in anesthesia circles. It is the opposite of Barash’s Handbook of Clinical Anesthesia. It is a relatively easy read and can start to introduce some of the topics of nurse anesthesia. This was actually the textbook I read (the 4th edition) while I was in undergraduate and leading up to anesthesia school. While I didn’t completely understand it, the textbook was a good way to get my basic understanding of nurse anesthesia.
Miller’s Anesthesia Volume I & Volume II K
These textbooks were great resources; however, for a guy who likes to physically hold a textbook.. underline, highlight, and write notes in the margins, this book was simply too cumbersome. Don’t get me wrong, the material was excellent, but I didn’t use either book too much for that reason.
Anesthesia Equipment by Dorsch & Dorsch
This was hands down one of my favorite textbooks. It is certainly overshadowed by the Nagelhouts and Barashs of the anesthesia world, but it has a lot of great content. It is perhaps one of the most practical textbooks of the list. The “Clinical Moments” alone are pure gems. I encourage all aspiring CRNAs to pick up this textbook. While some of the information may be over your head, there are a number of tips that will bring a lot of value to soon to be CRNA residents.
ICU resources
Gasparis, L. Critical Care Examination Review
I personally used Laura Gasparis's Critical Care Examination Review Revised to study for my CCRN and to understand topics of critical care. It's a little dated at this point but still great content
Barron’s Adult CCRN Exam Premium
The majority of RNs that I speak with use Barron's Adult CCRN Exam Premium book to study for their CCRN and understand critical care content
AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing, Fourth Edition - Burns
Good overview of critical care/resource to study for CCRN
Fast Facts for Adult Critical Care- White, K
Good quick reference manual on the unit
Critical Care Notes: Clinical Pocket Guide
Good quick reference manual on the unit
Breakthrough ICU
In terms of courses, I haven't personally taken the course by Kati Kleber, but she offers a course called Breakthrough ICU. CLICK HERE to check it out.
A few new ICU nurses I spoke with took the course and said it was helpful, but it is a little pricey.
Apps
Medscape
I use this app multiple times a week at work to look up drugs and uncommon diagnoses. It is an excellent quick resource in a pinch.
Vargo anesthesia
Vargo anesthesia is an incredible resource, particularly as a resident CRNA and staff CRNA. It offers case tips for different types of surgeries. It’s a must have when you get into school!
Anesthesia Websites
coacrna.org
The Council on Accreditation is the body that accredits nurse anesthesia programs. They have an excellent resource to search the entire database of CRNA schools. There are several search features, including searching by state. CLICK HERE to check it out!
AANA.com
Our national organization. There are great resources on this website if you want to learn learn about this profession.
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