The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is the first advanced practice nursing specialty in the United States. The history of nurses administering anesthetics dates to the latter half of the 1800's, continuing to the present day. The professional development of the specialty is closely tied to the evolution of the educational process by which nurses became trained nurse anesthetists. The study details the educational process of Nebraska nurse anesthetists ranging from apprenticeship training in the 1890's to the advent of graduate level study in 1985. Evidence of several...