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Nurse Anesthetists

managing patients' airway or pulmonary status, obtaining informed consent from patients for anesthesia procedures and performing pre-anesthetic screenings. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: managing patients' airway or pulmonary status is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

What shifts is requesting anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments or safety tests: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education. The job title says “nurse anesthetists”. The real job is the part underneath: managing patients' airway or pulmonary status. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But nurse anesthetists is not one task. It is 24 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is managing patients' airway or pulmonary status, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI
4%
changing shape
17%
staying human
80%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 17 out of 100 (13–22 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 24 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for nurse anesthetists is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

Shifting to AI

1 task

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

  • Requesting anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments or safety tests

    This is reading one thing and writing another: anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments or safety tests in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Request anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments, or safety tests.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Raising a repair or safety-test request is routine paperwork, though noticing the fault happens at the machine.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

4 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

  • Assessing patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response

    The software now makes the first pass at patients' medical histories, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 47 out of 100 (40–54 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Reading a medical history to predict how someone will react to anesthesia is record analysis a licensed clinician must own.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Selecting and prescribing post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients

    The software now makes the first pass at post-anesthesia medications, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Select and prescribe post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 47 out of 100 (40–54 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Choosing follow-up medication is a decision software can support, but only a licensed prescriber can issue it.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Developing anesthesia care plans

    The software now makes the first pass at anesthesia care plans, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Develop anesthesia care plans.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 47 out of 100 (40–54 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: An anesthesia plan is a written document AI can draft from the record, but a licensed clinician must sign it.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Reading current literature

    The software now makes the first pass at current literature, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 53 out of 100 (49–57 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Keeping up with published research is reading and summarizing, which AI does quickly across far more material.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

Staying human

19 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

  • Managing patients' airway or pulmonary status

    This work happens in the physical world: patients' airway, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Managing a patient's airway means physically placing and adjusting a tube while watching the patient.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Responding to emergency situations by providing airway management

    This work happens in the physical world: emergency situations, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Emergency airway support and resuscitation are hands-on acts performed on the patient immediately.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Monitoring patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation or urine output

    This work happens in the physical world: patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (3–17 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Monitors track the numbers automatically, but watching skin color, pupils and the patient takes a clinician present.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Selecting, ordering or administering anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products

    This work happens in the physical world: anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Choosing a drug can be supported by software, but giving anesthesia is a licensed clinician's hands-on act.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Selecting, preparing or using equipment, monitors, supplies or drugs for the administration of anesthetics

    This work happens in the physical world: equipment, monitors, supplies or drugs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Picking the right kit is documented, but preparing and setting up anesthesia equipment is physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Show the other 14 tasks

  • Discharging patients from post-anesthesia care

    staying human

    The rules require a named, qualified person to answer for patients, and that person cannot be a piece of software.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Discharge patients from post-anesthesia care.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 30 out of 100 (23–37 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Deciding someone is ready to leave recovery follows documented criteria, but a licensed clinician must make the call.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Performing or evaluating the results of diagnostic tests

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: the results of diagnostic tests, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Perform or evaluate the results of diagnostic tests, such as radiographs (x-rays) and electrocardiograms (EKGs).” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 23 out of 100 (16–30 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Reading an electrocardiogram or X-ray is something AI does well, but running the test involves the patient in person.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Instructing nurses, residents, interns, students or other staff on topics, anesthetic techniques, pain management and emergency responses

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: nurses, residents, interns, students or other staff, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Instruct nurses, residents, interns, students, or other staff on topics such as anesthetic techniques, pain management and emergency responses.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 23 out of 100 (16–30 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Teaching material writes itself easily, but showing colleagues anesthesia technique happens with the equipment and patient.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Obtaining informed consent from patients for anesthesia procedures

    staying human

    The rules require a named, qualified person to answer for informed consent, and that person cannot be a piece of software.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Obtain informed consent from patients for anesthesia procedures.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 15 out of 100 (8–22 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Consent must be taken by the clinician doing the procedure, in a conversation the patient trusts.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Performing pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews and documenting results

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: pre-anesthetic screenings, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: The interview and write-up could be assisted, but a physical examination needs the clinician with the patient.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Selecting, ordering or administering pre-anesthetic medications

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: pre-anesthetic medications, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Select, order, or administer pre-anesthetic medications.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Pre-medication has to be given to the patient, which is hands-on clinical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Evaluating patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: patients' post-surgical, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Evaluate patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses, taking appropriate corrective actions or requesting consultation if complications occur.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Judging how a patient is recovering means being at the bedside and acting immediately if things change.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Administering post-anesthesia medications or fluids to support patients' cardiovascular systems

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: post-anesthesia medications, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Administer post-anesthesia medications or fluids to support patients' cardiovascular systems.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Giving drugs and fluids after surgery is direct hands-on treatment.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Performing or managing regional anesthetic techniques

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: regional anesthetic techniques, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Perform or manage regional anesthetic techniques, such as local, spinal, epidural, caudal, nerve blocks and intravenous blocks.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Placing a spinal or nerve block is a precise physical procedure performed on the patient.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Preparing prescribed solutions and administering local

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: prescribed solutions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified methods and procedures.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Drawing up and injecting anesthetic is a hands-on clinical procedure.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Calibrating and testing anesthesia equipment

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: anesthesia equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 5 · Core
    Source: “Calibrate and test anesthesia equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Calibrating and testing anesthesia machines is hands-on equipment work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Disassembling and cleaning anesthesia equipment

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: anesthesia equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Disassemble and clean anesthesia equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Taking apart and cleaning anesthesia equipment is manual work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Inserting arterial catheters or performing arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: arterial catheters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Insert arterial catheters or perform arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Taking arterial blood requires precise hands-on technique at the patient's side.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Inserting peripheral or central intravenous catheters

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: peripheral, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Putting a line into a vein is a physical procedure carried out on the patient.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay
$236,590a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this

Source: bls-oews

Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

Rounding: Shown as published.

People doing this job
51,840in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments or safety tests in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: requesting anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments or safety tests and assessing patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response. What it cannot do is be answerable: patients' airway needs a named person the rules will accept, and software cannot be that person. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: managing patients' airway or pulmonary status is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 4% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 17% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 80% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 24 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Requesting anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments or safety tests is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments or safety tests, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding
a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes
ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether patients' airway is in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near assessing patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to nurse anesthetists (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was physician assistants: only about 21% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 42.6% less. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 17/100 here, with only 4% of the task list in the top band, and “manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

  • Physician Assistants

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs…, and their equivalent is to respond to emergency situations by providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic cardiac life support…. Across both published task lists that is about 21% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 21% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. It is a pay cut, in those words: $135,880 against your $236,590, 42.6% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Anesthesiologists

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified…, and their equivalent is to administer anesthetic or sedation during medical procedures, using local, intravenous, spinal, or caudal…. Across both published task lists that is about 10% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 10% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Medical Assistants

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already perform or evaluate the results of diagnostic tests, and their equivalent is to operate x-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG), or other equipment to administer routine diagnostic tests. Across both published task lists that is about 6% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 6% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $45,690 against your $236,590, 80.7% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

  • The headline number you read somewhere

    The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 4% of its task weight, across 24 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.

  • The headlines about your trade disappearing

    They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like managing patients' airway or pulmonary status arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.

  • Retraining out of a job that is holding up

    On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.

  • The “obvious” next job everyone suggests

    I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Registered specialist nurses is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Registered specialist nurses, Registered nurse practitioners, Registered mental health nurses, Registered community nurses, Registered children's nurses and Other registered nursing professionals. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Why there is no community here

Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for nurse anesthetists launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for nurse anesthetists yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for nurse anesthetists existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for nurse anesthetists launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Nurse Anesthetists?
Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 24 official task statements scored for Nurse Anesthetists (United States, SOC 29-1151), 4% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 17 out of 100 (range 13–22, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Nurse Anesthetists” can AI already do?
The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Request anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments, or safety tests” (69/100, high); “Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing” (53/100, partial); “Select and prescribe post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients” (47/100, partial). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Nurse Anesthetists” stay human?
About 80% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters” (0/100, minimal); “Insert arterial catheters or perform arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples” (0/100, minimal); “Disassemble and clean anesthesia equipment” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Nurse Anesthetists” do about AI?
Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 4% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 80% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Nurse Anesthetists calculated?
Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 24 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

  • The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
  • 2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
  • Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Task statements
onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights
onet-db (im-rt)
Scores
Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment
bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.