One of the many rewards of being a nurse anesthetist is providing patients with the comfort of knowing that I will be by their side monitoring their vital signs and adjusting their anesthetics to ensure a pain free and safe anesthesia experience.
National CRNA Week serves as an opportunity to inform the public exactly what CRNAs do and who we are.
In recognition of our profession’s commitment to exceptional patient care, thousands of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) from from across the country tell America “We Never Miss a Beat” as they celebrate the 19th annual National CRNA Week celebration, January 21-27, 2018, while touting the unified mantra “Our Priority. Our Passion. Our Patients”.
Established by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), National CRNA Week was created to encourage CRNAs to take the opportunity to educate the public about anesthesia safety, questions to ask prior to undergoing surgery, and the benefits of receiving anesthesia care from nurse anesthetists.
This campaign emphasizes the high standards with which CRNAs adhere to when administering anesthesia, and the quality of care they provide their patients.
Nurse anesthetists are advanced practice registered nurses who administer approximately 43 million anesthetics in the United States each year. Practicing in every setting where anesthesia is available, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia professionals in the vast majority of rural hospitals and have been the main provider of anesthesia care to U.S. service men and women on the front lines since World War I.
I take pride in belonging to a profession that places patient safety and education on the top of its list of priorities. Nurse anesthetists have been at the forefront of anesthesia patient safety for 150 years.
CRNAs play a key role in developing trends related to monitoring technology, anesthetic drugs, and standards of care. In fact, due to continuing research and education, anesthesia today is nearly 50 times safer than it was in the 1980s.
This year’s theme, “Making a Difference, One Patient at a Time”, reflects how CRNAs dedicate themselves to each of their patients before, during and after surgery. CRNAs stay with their patients throughout their procedure to ensure the safest anesthesia experience possible.
Our patients and their safe journey through surgery is our priority. We care for them at a very vulnerable time in their life, and it is an honor to provide safe, quality anesthesia for all of our patients, one at a time. We are there for every heartbeat, every breath, caring for America.
The catchphrase “We Never Miss a Beat”, touts the quality of care that nurse anesthetists pride themselves on providing patients.
To provide the safest anesthesia possible, nurse anesthetists remain by their patients’ side every moment of their procedure, monitoring their vital signs to help ensure a comfortable and safe anesthesia experience.
As anesthesia providers, it is important to be aware of every heartbeat, every breath, and be ready to quickly respond if necessary. Which is why CRNAs are so proud to belong to a profession that has maintained a sterling record of providing patient-safety for 150 years.
Historically, CRNAs have played a considerable role in advancing trends related to monitoring technology, anesthetic drugs, and patient education. It is a privilege to be a part of a profession with a focal point that is dedicated to providing patient safety.