BACK TO THE FUTURE! Governor Signs Ceremonial Professional Designation Bill

More than a year after Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law Act 60 of 2021, which granted formal title recognition to the state’s Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), members of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) got to join the state’s top executive for a ceremonial bill signing at the Capitol Building.

Public bill signings were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic and only recently restarted, with PANA visiting Harrisburg on Sept. 20, 2022. Even though it was delayed in coming, the ceremony still made for a glorious day. Act 60 remains one of the biggest legislative achievements in a generation for CRNAs and SRNAs in Pennsylvania --- one that took more than a decade to secure.

With no definition for nurse anesthetists under the state’s Professional Nursing Law, CRNAs were recognized only as registered nurses. Now, with Act 60, everyone knows us for who we are and what we train to be --- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

Thank you again to every CRNA and SRNA in Pennsylvania, and to dedicated PANA board members and trustees, for everyone’s tireless advocacy to get this law across the finish line and significantly advance our profession.

Learn more about the issues at www.PANAforQualityCare.com. Click on “Legislative Updates.”

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Waiver that Suspends Physician Supervision of CRNAs Extended Again

The commonwealth once again has extended several regulatory waivers designed to give health-care providers greater flexibility in their response to COVID-19.

Among the waivers is a provision that suspends the physician supervision requirement of a certified registered nurse anesthetist in a hospital setting.

Lawmakers unanimously approved the measure (H.B. 2401) on June 30, the last day of the state’s 2021-22 fiscal year, and the governor signed it immediately.

The governor announced the original temporary blanket waiver for advanced practice nurses and CRNAs on May 6, 2020, as part of an executive order to enhance the state’s response to the emerging health-care crisis.

The waivers have been extended several times since then, most recently in March. This latest extension means the waivers will remain in effect through Oct. 31, 2022.

Removing the supervision requirement and allowing CRNAs to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training has availed more physicians to provide hands-on care, expanded the capacity of both CRNA and physician providers, and augmented the state’s health-care system during this pandemic.

SRNA Perspective on Handling Parenthood and School

Laura K. Blank, Senior SRNA

York College of Pennsylvania / WellSpan Health Nurse Anesthetist Program

It’s Sunday, and I’m in the middle of my cardiac rotation, with an on-pump aortic valve replacement scheduled for tomorrow. My 3-year-old son is in daycare, and when I awoke this morning to prepare for the week, a notification from his school popped up on my phone --- and a feeling of dread immediately washed over me. Yet again, another unpredictable daycare closure because of COVID-19 exposure. Another week of shuffling schedules, exercising adaptability, and remembering expectations don’t change for my husband’s job and my clinical requirements. Another week of hoping our unvaccinated son doesn’t get sick.

I’d like to say this happens infrequently, but I can recall on two separate occasions my son’s daycare closing the week before finals. My perfectly planned study and paper-writing schedule instantly went up in smoke. All this is on top of the normal daily struggles of trying to juggle school, work, family, and parenting.

It hasn’t all been challenging. The joys that come from working hard and setting a good example for my child give me confidence that my husband and I are paving the way for him in life. We hope we are teaching him kindness, joy, and thankfulness as we adapt to uncertainty. We make sacrifices in other areas to be able to always show him love and attention while prioritizing my schooling and patient care. He may be too young to remember this pandemic season, but perhaps one day he will ask us how we got to where we are. We are teaching him ownership, hard work, and dedication.

As a senior SRNA, the end is in sight. I have an ode to all the other mothers and fathers out there in school. We all have different challenges. Some battle with illness and others need more from their support system than available; there are relationship troubles and financial troubles. School demands time and sacrifice. It’s difficult to miss Mother’s Day trips, big birthday parties, or life events.

Here’s to the parents who put their patients first and still show up for their kids. Here’s to the support systems, the life partners, and the family and friends who jump in to help or understand the absence of time. Here’s to the faculty and preceptors who understand the balance as well. In the end, showing love to our families while learning how to best care for our patients will be worth all the sacrifice in the end.