This year, National CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) Week is being celebrated January 25-31. The theme, “CRNAs: The Future of Anesthesia Care Today,” follows a national public education campaign launched in September 2014 by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and designed to provide healthcare professionals, policymakers and patients with information about access to safe, cost-effective anesthesia care.
The AANA states that CRNAs and student registered nurse anesthetists administer some 34 million anesthetics each year, in both inpatient and outpatient settings. That number is likely to grow as the population ages and demand for anesthesia services increases. As that shift occurs, many hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) may find themselves searching for the right anesthesia model for their facility.
CRNAs as Part of the Care Team Model
In response to the escalating costs that are driving a demand for greater value in the delivery of healthcare, the mandate for high-quality, cost-efficient patient care has never been more acute. As healthcare institutions attempt to align operations with the new outcomes-based model, they are exploring different approaches. What many are finding in the area of anesthesia services is that the inclusion of CRNAs in their care teams is helping them make the transition and achieve their goals.
The RAND Corporation released survey data that revealed a shortage of anesthesiologists in more than half the states that responded. Add to those findings the anticipated growth in the number of surgeries, and it is clear that hospitals and ASCs may have a problem meeting demand for more coverage. They may also have a problem achieving efficiencies, including on-time starts and timely turnarounds. An anesthesia team that blends anesthesiologists with CRNAs provides a solution that responds directly to those challenges.
In the Somnia white paper Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in the Care Team Model, we provide snapshots of the history of the CRNA, the requirements of the certification, market trends, and performance measurements in an Accountable Anesthesia Organization™. We also outline some of the benefits that accrue to hospitals that decide to add CRNAs to their anesthesia teams. Download the full paper here.
This week, and throughout the year, we honor the profession of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and thank those who enable and ensure delivery of safe, high-quality and cost-efficient patient care nationwide.