PANA PAC Challenge Winner Making a Difference

Julia Dixon-Ernst, MSN, CRNA

Last fall, PANA members had an opportunity to enter a PAC Challenge with each donation made to the campaign. First-place winner Julia Dixon-Ernst, MSN, CRNA, was thrilled to chat with Tidings about her accomplishments and goals as an advocate for both PANA and AANA. Julie currently serves as a trustee on PANA’s Board, and further serves as a State Advocate for Pennsylvania for the AANA Foundation. 

While a nurse anesthesia student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Julie presented at the 2018 AANA Annual Congress. She’s now looking forward to attending her first AANA Mid-Year Assembly in April. 

“Educating lawmakers about what CRNAs do and why we’re important to healthcare is critical to the CRNA profession,” says Julie. “If a CRNA does their job well in the OR, no one hears about it or remembers you,” she pointed out. 

After graduating as a CRNA from the Pitt School of Nursing in 2018, Julie earned an adjunct faculty position and became a clinical coordinator for Pitt. She works full-time on the Trauma Transplant Team at UPMC Presbyterian where she maintains multiple leadership roles, including as chair of #CRNAWeek! Check out the adorable photos below!

UPMC Presbyterian Celebrates Family Day to Kick Off Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Week!

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Julie says her role as a Clinical Coordinator at UPMC Presbyterian helps shepherd students from orientation through graduation. Julie told Tidings she enjoys seeing the students all the way through, witnessing the excitement and anticipation of the first days in the OR transforming into competence and confidence at graduation. 

“Seeing the students grow and develop, from starting out to rotating back to us as senior students is just amazing. Being part of that journey and having the opportunity to help them grow into the best CRNAs they can be is so gratifying,” Julie explained. 

Having benefitted from the mentorship, the continued education and the advocacy tools for CRNAs and students in Pennsylvania since joining PANA, Julie looks forward to similarly helping CRNAs and SRNAs in 2024 and beyond.  

“PANA does a great job taking newer members under their wing and helps them really acclimate to their profession,” Julie added. “Receiving that mentorship and support at an early stage is so important,” she said.  

TAGS: Nurse Anesthetists - CRNA Week - AANA Foundation - #CRNAinPA

Day in the Life: CRNAs & COVID-19

By Sonya Brown, BS, MS, CRNA

In celebration of 2021 National CRNA Week, this article provides a brief history of the certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) profession, describes what it’s like to be a CRNA today during the COVID-19 pandemic, and details the ongoing importance of the state’s recent waiver of supervision requirements for CRNAs.

Historical Perspective: Can you believe that nurse anesthetists have been providing anesthesia services in the United State for more than 150 years? During the Civil War, nurses provided anesthesia services to wounded soldiers on the battlefield, and they soon became the predominant anesthesia provider for those on the frontline. Later, in 1956, CRNA credentialing came into existence. Today, CRNAs safely administer more than 49 million anesthetics each year in the United States. CRNAs also serve as the primary anesthesia provider in the vast majority of many rural and underserved communities. Peer-reviewed studies show that anesthesia care is nearly 50 times safer now than in was in the 1980s, and that there is no difference in the quality of anesthesia care provided between a CRNA and a physician-trained counterpart. CRNAs practice with a high degree of autonomy and carry great responsibility due to their extensive education, training, and licensure. It is estimated that by 2026, there will be a 31 percent increase in need for advanced practice nurses such as CRNAs. There already is a 60 percent shortage of CRNAs across the United States.

CRNAs & COVID-19: With the surge caused by COVID-19, CRNAs stepped up, masked up, and were given the opportunity to practice to their full extent and capabilities. With more patients in need, there simply were not enough skilled and trained providers to care for all these sick individuals. CRNAs were able to jump in immediately to care for these patients. Because of their training in critical care and airway management, CRNAs were able to offer support in intubations and airway management outside of the typical operating room setting. This included covering the emergency room, intensive care unit, and other critical care areas. In addition, CRNAs have played a vital role in invasive line insertion, managing sedation, monitoring labs and blood gases, as well as other diagnostic tests. They also continued to manage their patient’s anesthetic needs within the operating room. Because of all of this, CRNAs have been and continue to be one of the most important team members in the management of COVID-19 patients, while continuing their primary role of administering safe anesthesia for their patients.

State Waiver: Because there were and continues to be an increasing number of patients afflicted by COVID-19, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf temporarily waived CRNA supervision requirements, allowing CRNAs to utilize their unique skillset to help care for these sick individuals. (The waiver remains in effect as part of the governor’s ongoing disaster declaration.) This waiver allows CRNAs to play a critical role in the care of these patients and to be able to respond appropriately. The governor’s action also has made a huge impact in that more CRNAs are able to respond to this health-care crisis. As of right now, Pennsylvania remains one of only a few states where CRNAs are not recognized as advanced practice providers, something our association is fighting to change. CRNAs play a vital role in providing lifesaving airway and critical care management of those patients impacted by COVID-19. There are 33 states with no CRNA supervision in state law. Removing CRNA supervision permanently in Pennsylvania should be a top priority. We need to work with our associations and advocate for our profession at the state and federal levels. This would allow us to provide anesthetic services to our patients within our full scope of practice and to the best of our ability. Please support and advocate for CRNAs in Pennsylvania.

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To all the professionals in the field: Happy 2021 National CRNA Week!

Legislative Resolutions Recognize CRNAs in Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kurt Knaus; P: 717-724-2866; E: kurt@ceislermedia.com

Legislative Resolutions Recognize CRNAs in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG (Feb. 4, 2020) --- Because of the vital role certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) play in protecting patient safety and controlling rising health-care costs, the state General Assembly adopted two separate resolutions to formally recognize the high-quality, affordable care these advanced practice nurses provide in Pennsylvania.

The resolutions --- S.R. 288 by Sen. John R. Gordner (R-Columbia) and H.R. 684 by Rep. Stephen Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) --- were adopted unanimously by both the House and Senate this week as the legislature reconvened session. The votes also served as the capstone for the 21st annual National CRNA Week, when patients, hospital administrators, health-care professionals, policy-makers, and others learn more about the work CRNAs perform.

“Senator Gordner and Representative Barrar have been longtime champions for CRNAs in Pennsylvania, and we appreciate their continued support,” said Angelarosa G. DiDonato, DNP, CRNA, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA). “More and more people are starting to understand and appreciate the role CRNAs play as an advocate for our patients and affordable, quality health care in Pennsylvania.”

CRNAs are the hands-on providers of anesthesia care, operating safely in every setting where anesthesia is administered, including hospital operating and delivery rooms; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, and plastic surgeons; pain management centers and more.

The nation’s 54,000 CRNAs and student registered nurse anesthetists safely and cost-effectively provide more than 49 million anesthetics each year. PANA itself represents more than 3,700 CRNAs and students across the state --- one of the largest contingencies in the country.

CRNAs are the main providers of anesthesia care in rural communities and medically underserved areas, delivering essential health care and preventing gaps in services. CRNAs also are battle-tested, serving on the front lines since World War I as the main providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel in austere combat theaters.

CRNAs not only provide routine anesthesia care, but also quickly respond to patient changes and emergencies during surgical and medical procedures, ensuring patient health and safety.

In fact, with advanced degrees and a high level of education and clinical experience, CRNAs are able to deliver the same safe, high-quality anesthesia care as other anesthesia professionals but at a lower cost, helping to control the nation’s rising health-care costs.

Because of their training and experience, numerous medical studies show there is no statistical difference in patient outcomes when a nurse anesthetist provides treatment. In fact, these studies by nationally recognized health-care policy and research organizations prove that CRNAs provide high-quality care, even for rare and difficult procedures.

Pennsylvania is recognized as a leader in anesthesia education and training, with 13 programs spread throughout Allegheny, Columbia, Erie, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland and York counties.

Despite these advancements, Pennsylvania remains one of only two states (New York is the other) that fails to recognize CRNA designation in some form.

There is no formal definition for “certified registered nurse anesthetist” under the state’s Professional Nursing Law, meaning they are recognized only as registered nurses (RNs), not CRNAs. Professional designation legislation (S.B. 325), also sponsored by Sen. Gordner, passed the Senate last session but has not yet been taken up by the House.

For more information about certified registered nurse anesthetists in Pennsylvania, visit www.PANAforQualityCare.com or follow along on social media via Twitter at @PANACRNA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PANACRNA.

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