CRNA Week 2011

Hi, My name is rel, I'm a nurse anesthetist and I'm going to take care of your anesthesia needs today during your surgery.

I've been doing this job of administering anesthesia since 1972, and there has never been a day I didn't look forward to coming to work and doing my job.

In 1999 my professional organization, AANA, put forth the idea of celebrating Nurse anesthetists and picked the last full week of January each year since to bring to public awareness the role we play in the overall scheme of things in operating rooms all over America.  2011 marks the 12th National Nurse Anesthetists Week.


Although we utilize our knowledge and technical skills in every area of medical practice; outpatient clinics, Dr.'s offices, oscopy suites, as well as ICUs, ERs, and regular hospital wards, it's in operating rooms that you are most likely to encounter us.

Even though, in many, if not all rural areas, we, the nurse anesthetist ply our trade independently,  that is to say, without supervision by a physician trained in anesthesiology,  but as with all areas of medicine and surgery today the patients care is a collaborative effort between different health care professionals.  This collaborative effort allows us to evaluate the scenario you present to us and to then devise the plan of anesthesia to give you the best chance for a safe and satisfactory surgery.

Nurse anesthetists have been administering anesthetics for 150 years.  That's a lot of practice, and numerous studies show that we do it with an excellence.  Our record of safety is unmatched.

So if you are greeted by a person who says, hi, I'm a nurse anesthetist and I'm going to care for you today, consider yourself fortunate with the knowledge that you will get the best care you can get.