AANA Honors Our Nation’s Veterans, Supports Better Care and Greater Access to Healthcare in VA

Rosemont, Ill. (AANA) – The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) joins the nation on Veterans Day honoring and thanking the nation’s military veterans for their bravery and service to our country.

Military Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), also known as nurse anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists, are the primary providers of anesthesia care in the U.S. military and often the sole providers of anesthesia in austere environments such as at forward operating bases.  However, the safe, high-quality anesthesia care our military members receive from CRNAs is not as accessible when they return home as veterans.

Despite the evidence and workforce shortages in the healthcare system, the Veterans Administration (VA) does not allow CRNAs to practice autonomously. CRNAs are the only advanced practice registered nurses in the VA without this authority, limiting veterans’ access to care.

“As we honor those members of the nation’s military who served with such devotion, it is time to respect their service by making sure veterans have timely access to the high-quality care they need,” said AANA President Jan Setnor, MSN, CRNA, Col. (Ret), USAFR, NC. “As a retired Colonel of the United States Air Force Reserve with 26 years of honorable service, I know first-hand the quality services provided by CRNAs working autonomously and who have practiced independently in the most difficult circumstances possible while serving in the military.”

As advanced practice registered nurses, CRNAs work autonomously within the surgical team in the Army, Navy, Air Force, the Indian Health Service, and in countless facilities across the country, delivering high-quality anesthesia care to all populations, including those with the complex needs of our nation’s veterans. With years of education that includes specialized, extensive anesthesia training, CRNAs consistently demonstrate their competence and expertise in providing anesthesia services.

“As a CRNA who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces, I have seen firsthand what many veterans are experiencing in terms of healthcare challenges and know the importance of focusing on the patient and their needs,“ said Setnor. “CRNAs are involved in every aspect of anesthesia services, including pre-anesthesia patient assessment, developing a plan for anesthesia administration, monitoring and interpreting the patient’s vital signs, and managing the patient throughout the surgery and recovery. We always put our patients first.”

AANA maintains that both physician anesthesiologists and CRNAs must be available to provide direct patient services, and that VA facilities should be afforded the ability to choose the best anesthesia delivery model that meets their needs. With full practice authority for CRNAs, physician anesthesia providers and CRNAs alike are available to care for veterans.

“AANA continues to urge the VA healthcare system to provide the same anesthesia care and services to our veterans as is in place in healthcare systems across the nation,” said Setnor. “Autonomous practice has been tried and proven effective in our military system, and there is no reason it should not be adopted by the Veterans Health Administration.”

Visit this link for more information and to contact your congressional representative to oppose legislation harming veterans’ access to care.