Posted by Dave J on August 9, 2007, 3:17 pm, in reply to "Re: CRNA vs AA"
AAs will eventually spread across the nation. The shortage of anesthesia providers is not just a regional thing but a national problem. The AANA acting as a de facto union for the CRNAs is trying to stop the spread, using the exact same arguments against the AAs that the MDAs used against the CRNAs 50 years ago.
I feel as a professional, my goal should be to encourage policies and practices that are best for the clients, our patients. Having an anesthesia provider shortage and/or a nursing shortage is not in their best interests. Despite new nurse anesthesia schools opening up there are still 1000 too few CRNAs coming out each year. And the pool comes from Nurses, another field in a "shortage" situation. It makes no sense to"steal people in one area that is short in order to help in another area that is short. AAs will help with the anesthesia shortage without worsening the nursing shortage. That makes sense and I am all for it.
