Onboarding plan
Nurse Anesthetist Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new nurse anesthetist from first day to full productivity.
Nurse Anesthetist onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: CRNA (NBCRNA certification), State APRN license (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: anesthesia machines; patient monitors; video laryngoscopes; ultrasound for nerve blocks
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Nurse Anesthetist training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Complete machine and drug checks
- Label all syringes
- Follow difficult airway algorithms
- Prevent infection with sterile technique
- Shadow an experienced nurse anesthetist through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: complete a pre-anesthesia check
- Supervised practice: evaluate a patient before surgery
- Supervised practice: manage a difficult airway
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Evaluate patients before anesthesia: independently
- Plan anesthesia care: independently
- Give general, regional and local anesthesia: independently
- Manage airways and ventilation: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, CRNA (NBCRNA certification))
- Discuss the career path: ICU Registered Nurse → CRNA → Chief CRNA
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete a Pre-Anesthesia Check | |||
| Evaluate a Patient Before Surgery | |||
| Manage a Difficult Airway | |||
| Anesthesia pharmacology | |||
| Airway management | |||
| Regional anesthesia | |||
| Hemodynamic monitoring |
How to measure onboarding success
- Days until the new hire works without a preceptor
- Competency sign-offs completed on time
- Documentation or charting error rate
- 90-day retention
How Nurse Anesthetist training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Nurse Anesthetist Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Nurse Anesthetist Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Nurse Anesthetist Career
- Final Knowledge Check