National Nurse Anesthetists Week Celebrates Anesthesia Patient Safety


ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 20 / -- As the demand for anesthesia services expands beyond hospitals into physicians' offices and other nontraditional settings, surgical patients can rest assured that anesthesia has never been safer, said Earl Auty, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and President of the Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists (MANA).
Auty and other MANA members will join CRNAs around the country in celebrating a history of exceptional patient care and anesthesia safety during National Nurse Anesthetists Week, January 23-29, 2005.
"Nurse Anesthetists have been providing high-quality anesthesia care for more than 100 years," said Auty, who is Director of O/R Services at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. "Patient safety is, and always has been, the number one priority for nurse anesthetists. We administer to the patient's physical and emotional needs, offer reassurance and comfort, and stay right by the patient's side throughout the surgery. These are the hallmarks of a CRNA."
Supporting Auty's statements are data. Studies have shown a dramatic
reduction in anesthesia mortality rates since the early 1980s to the present low of one death for every 240,000 anesthetics. Thanks to improved technology and pharmaceuticals, and increased education for nurse anesthetists and
physician anesthesiologists, anesthesia safety is at an all-time high.
"It is worth noting that in this era of increased patient safety, CRNAs
are the hands-on providers of approximately 65 percent of all the anesthetics given in the United States each year," said Auty.
CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered,
including traditional hospital surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms,
physicians' offices, ambulatory surgical centers, and medical facilities of
the U.S. Military, Public Health Service, and Veterans Administration.
In rural settings, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia providers in nearly two
thirds of all hospitals. CRNAs are also the main provider of obstetrical
anesthesia in the United States, helping millions of mothers enjoy pain-free deliveries each year.
Providing guidance and direction for the nation's 30,000 CRNAs is the
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). Headquartered near
Chicago, AANA has been at the forefront of establishing clinical practice
standards for the nurse anesthesia profession for more than 70 years.
"I can only envision that the quality of anesthesia care will continue to
improve in the next century," said Auty. "CRNAs are dedicated and committed to being at the forefront of ensuring patient comfort and safety. After all, isn't the patient's well-being really what it's all about?"
For more information about the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, contact the AANA at (847) 692-7050 or visit the Web sites at http://www.aana.com and
http://www.AnesthesiaPatientSafety.com .



SOURCE Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Web Site: http://www.aana.com
http://www.AnesthesiaPatientSafety.com