ROSEMONT, Ill. — The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) announced the creation of a new membership category for registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs)
Based in Rosemont, Illinois, the AANA is the professional association representing more than 65,300 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), also known as nurse anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists. CRNAs are anesthesia professionals who safely administer more than 50 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States. Education and training requirements to enter a nurse anesthesiology education program include at least one year of full-time work experience as a registered nurse in a critical care setting. The average nurse anesthesiology resident enters a program with 4.5 years of critical care experience.
"This new category offers RNs and APRNs the opportunity to gain an insider's view into one of the most rewarding and in-demand careers in healthcare—nurse anesthesiology," said Amy Sherwood, CAE, AANA Chief Membership Officer. "By joining the AANA, nurses can learn about the different career pathways within the nurse anesthesiology profession, network with CRNAs and nurse anesthesiology residents, and access a range of benefits including educational resources.”
CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered: traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; critical access hospitals; ambulatory surgical centers; ketamine clinics; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and U.S. military, Public Health Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities.
Many rural hospitals are critical access hospitals, which often rely on independently practicing CRNAs for anesthesia care. Half of U.S. rural hospitals use a CRNA-only model for obstetric care, and CRNAs safely deliver pain management care, particularly where there are no physician providers available, saving patients long drives of 75 miles or more.
“CRNAs fill a critical need in the American healthcare system, and that need will continue to grow in underserved areas and with an aging population,” said Sherwood. “We hope that by joining the AANA, RNs and APRNs from diverse backgrounds and specialties will consider being a part of the solution to the challenges of today and the future and join the CRNA profession.”
For more information about AANA membership, visit https://www.aana.com/membership/become-a-member/. For specific information about AANA’s new RN/APRN membership category, visit renew.aana.com/RN.
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