Nurse Anesthetists Week Highlights the Role and Patient Care of a CRNA
PARK RIDGE, Ill., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — For the millions of patients who will undergo a surgical procedure this year, many are unaware that they will receive their anesthesia care from a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). During the eighth annual Nurse Anesthetist Week, Jan. 21-27, 2007, CRNAs are celebrating more than a century of ensuring patient safety, while educating the public on the pivotal role they play during a surgical procedure.
“Patients are able to rest easy knowing a CRNA is by their side during the entire surgery, said Terry Wicks, CRNA, MHS, president of the 36,000-member American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). “Prior to a procedure, it is the responsibility of a nurse anesthetist to relieve the patient’s concerns and pain. More importantly, CRNAs are vigilant throughout the surgery, monitoring every function of the patient’s vital signs ensuring the individual is safe at all times. In the end, it’s important that patients know they are in the hands of a qualified anesthesia provider that is there to make their surgical procedure more comfortable every step of the way.”
While patients are asleep the majority of the time that they are under the care of a nurse anesthetist, many associate their anesthesia experience with the fading of surrounding noises and sounds, to later find themselves awakening in a recovery room. When in actuality, CRNAs are with the patient during the entire procedure inducing sleep, monitoring vital signs, adjusting anesthetic levels and safely reviving a patient after surgery is complete.
“Nurse Anesthetists Week allows for CRNAs across the country to educate the public about exactly what we do and who we are,” said Wicks. “A great deal of the public are unaware that nurse anesthetists practice in every part of the country, deliver every type of anesthetic, work in every setting in which anesthesia care is delivered, work closely with all types of physicians, and have been doing so for more than 100 years. Many patients are unable to associate their anesthesia care with a CRNA, despite the fact that nurse anesthetists deliver approximately 27 million anesthetics each year,” added Wicks.
As a result of adhering to high practice standards, in last 20 years, the number of patient deaths related to anesthesia has declined from approximately two for every 10,000 to approximately one for every 240,000 anesthetics administered. Other attributions to this improvement include the advancement of monitoring technology, anesthetic drugs, provider education and the involvement of CRNAs in most of the anesthesia care provided in the United States each year.
About the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)
Founded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., the AANA is the professional organization for more than 90 percent of the nation’s CRNAs. As advanced practice nurses, CRNAs administer approximately 27 million anesthetics in the United States each year. CRNAs practice in every setting where anesthesia is available and are the sole anesthesia providers in more than two-thirds of all rural hospitals.
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
CONTACT: Armentia Snyder of AANA, +1-847-655-1148, asnyder@aana.com