Release from the CRNA:
Going under? Thank a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.
The week of Jan 22-28 is national CRNA week.
CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) deliver efficient, cost effective care, and have been doing so, for over a century. A CRNA is a highly trained, advanced nurse practitioner. The qualifications require one to receive a B.S. in Nursing, work in a critical care environment for a short time period, in most cases, an Intensive care unit, with the sickest patients in the hospital. Many of these nurses hold further advanced certifications in critical care nursing.
Nurses can apply to a CRNA school, which can include hundreds of applicants, but only handfuls are selected, each year, for admission. These nurses are the best and brightest in their field, often having many years of hospital experience. The only school in W.Va., CAMC School of Nurse Anesthesia, requires 3 years of rigorous, hands-on, and intensive classroom and clinical training, ending with a doctorate degree. Once a nurse has graduated from a CRNA program, they must then, take and pass, a national standardized test, to practice anesthesia. In W.Va., it takes a minimum of 9 years, to receive a CRNA license, after completing high school.
In almost 100 percent of all rural areas, CRNAs practice independently, without any supervision. In larger hospitals, CRNAS work, in conjunction with anesthesiologists, to make an individualized plan for each and every patient. CRNAs listen to each heartbeat and evaluate each breath taken by the patient, and are ready, at a moment’s notice, to remedy any mishaps in the operating room.
CRNAs work in all areas, including: Obstetrics, Pediatrics, and Cardiac. They administer epidural anesthesia, pain blocks, sedation and general anesthesia, along with advanced monitoring and central lines. CRNAs provide, roughly, 40 million anesthetic s annually. CRNAs are the cornerstone to providing safe, high-quality, patient care, in all healthcare environments.
Studies have proven that CRNAs are safe, competent providers and that the surgical outcome is the same, regardless, if a CRNA or anesthesiologist performs the anesthesia. The main difference between a CRNA and Anesthesiologist is cost. With the current healthcare crisis, a CRNA only provides the most affordable care to patients. It has been speculated, that a CRNA-only model, would save BILLIONS of dollars on healthcare, with no drop on the quality of patient care.
A CRNA’s role in the medical realm is a critical and vital aspect in the daily operations of surgical procedures. So, please thank a CRNA, not just during their week in January, but all year long.
