Recognizing the critical role of CRNAs in providing quality health care

Reviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. (Editor)Jan 26 2020

In honor of National CRNA Week (Jan. 19-25, 2020), Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and Sam Graves (R-MO) today introduced a bipartisan resolution on the House floor, "Recognizing the roles and the contributions of America's Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and their role in providing quality health care for the public."

I am proud to co-lead this resolution recognizing our nation's more than 54,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists for the critical role they play in ensuring patient access to the highest levels of patient safety in anesthesia care and pain management across the United States. Available evidence shows that CRNAs provide the same safe and high-grade anesthesia care as their physician colleagues, regardless of setting or patient population, while at the same time helping to bring down health care costs and increase access to care. In districts across the country, including urban settings like my 40th Congressional District of California, Nurse Anesthetists are key to providing timely access to the highest quality, most cost-effective anesthesia care."

Rep. Roybal-Allard

We are honored by the House of Representatives' resolution and the recognition it brings to the nurse anesthesia profession. You will find CRNAs in every possible practice setting. We provide anesthesia for traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms, critical access hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists, and in our nation's military service branches.

AANA President Kate Jansky, MHS, CRNA, APRN, USA, LTC (ret)

"Importantly, we are there to ease our patient's mind by being their advocate," said Jansky. "As highly educated, advanced practice registered nurses, CRNAs have the important role of keeping patients safe. They learn the medical condition of patients and advocate on a patient's behalf-;making CRNAs an imperative and affordable member of a patient's healthcare team."

Every year across the United States, CRNAs administer more than 49 million anesthetics. The AANA established CRNA Week in 2000 to educate the public about anesthesia safety and the benefits of receiving anesthesia care from CRNAs. During National CRNA Week, nurse anesthetists will be educating patients, coworkers and others about their profession.