National CRNA Week: The House of Representatives Recognizes the Contributions of Nurse Anesthetists

PARK RIDGE, Ill., Jan. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- (AANA) – 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," Rep. Roybal-Allard said. "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."

"We are honored by the House of Representatives' resolution and the recognition it brings to the nurse anesthesia profession," said AANA President Kate Jansky, MHS, CRNA, APRN, USA, LTC (ret). "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. 

"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. 

About the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists 
Founded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., and Washington, D.C., the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is the professional organization representing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists across the United States. For more information, visit www.aana.com and www.future-of-anesthesia-care-today.com.

SOURCE American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

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