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Take time to recognize nurse anesthetists

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, January 20, 2005

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Their faces may be the last patients see before they slip into unconsciousness during a surgical procedure. Whether the operation is performed in an ASC, hospital, doctor's office, or other facility, a nurse anesthetist has most likely played a significant role in establishing a patient's comfort and delivering quality care.

Consequently, The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) has mounted a campaign to encourage ASCs, hospitals, private physicians, and other medical practitioners across the country to take part in National Nurse Anesthetists Week, which takes place January 23-29. The special week is intended to celebrate the achievements and contributions of nurse anesthetists in the surgical field.

"Nurse anesthetists have been providing high-quality anesthesia care for more than 100 years," Joe Lesser, a certified registered nurse anesthetist with the University of Kentucky Medical Center, told the Lexington (KY) Herald Leader this week. "Patient safety is and always has been the number one priority for nurse anesthetists. We administer to the patient's physical and emotional needs."

According to estimates provided by the Herald Leader, nurse anesthetists are the sole provider of anesthesia in nearly two-thirds of rural hospitals.

For more information about National Nurse Anesthetists Week, visit the AANA at www.aana.com.

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