FACT: AA-Cs can train and teach SRNA (student nurse anesthetist) = CRNA. AA-Cs also train and teach their own AA-S/RN,AA-S (student anesthetist/student nurse anesthetist) = AA-C/RN,AA-C. RNs receive no training whatsoever in anesthesia. Therefore, a nurse who decides to go to nurse anesthetist school is not superior in any way to a grad student who is training to be an AA. Granted, nurse anesthetists have a stronger lobby group than AAs might, but to think that equals prestige is downright silly. Of course an AA can take over when the NA goes to lunch or on break! Both are trained to run cases. Period. Folks in any line of work who don't feel as competent as their co-workers are going to get the insecurities. They then make a lot of noise regarding their importance, often belittling their competitors. Some anesthesia groups and hospitals cave to the noise. Their loss. But it will be up to the AAs to form more lobby groups and make their highly skilled importance known.