Posted by AA's Can Do iT on December 29, 2006, 9:53 am
The real reason that the ASA supports AA's and the AAAA is simple: Independent CRNA Practice
CRNA's via the AANA has waged a battle at the local, state and National level to convince lawmakers that CRNA's can and should be able to practice Independently. It was not enough that an ignorant (when it comes to Anesthesia) Surgeon or Dentist was supervising the Nurse. No, the AANA will not stop until every CRNA has the right to practice in all 50 states without any supervision. Essentially, the AANA wants CRNA's (Advanced Practiced Nurses) to practice Medicine without a license. This is how the ASA sees it and how most Physicians see it: Advanced Nurses hiding behind Nursing Boards to call the Practice of Medicine-"Nursing." Call it what you want but today's Anesthetics are complex and the drugs we give are the most potent agents available. CRNA's are deciding on their own to prescribe, administer and deal with complications on their own. If it souns like a duck, quacks like a duck then it's a duck no matter what DD calls it.
Thus, the ASA supports the AAAA and the concept of AA's. Mid-Level Providers are NOT Physicians and if they want to practice "solo" they should go to Medical School.
The AANA wants to make this a money issue. They want AA's to believe MDA's make more money from AA's. This is not true like most of the AANA propoganda. But, DD and the AANA believe that is you say something often enough and loud enough people may actually believe it.