It’s that time of year again. In just a few days, we will mark the start of the 21st annual National CRNA Week … or, as we like to call it here: 2020 CRNA Week in Pennsylvania. The weeklong celebration runs from Jan. 19 to Jan. 25.
As in past years, the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) will run an extended campaign focused on reminding people of the role Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) play in every health-care setting while informing residents, elected leaders and other stakeholders of the exceptionally high value and experience that our professionals bring to the care of their patients.
As the slogan for this year states: Your Comfort. Your Care. WE ARE THERE!
And we plan to be everywhere over the next few weeks! Listen for our ads on National Public Radio stations in your area, follow along with us on PANA’s social media pages, watch our videos featuring your peers, look for our ads on a variety of digital platforms, and help us share the story about the work we do.
The reality is that the nation’s nearly 54,000 CRNAs and student registered nurse anesthetists safely and cost-effectively provide more than 49 million anesthetics each year. We are the hands-on providers of anesthesia care --- and have been for more than 150 years --- providing comfort and care wherever anesthesia is delivered. Our commonwealth is a leader in educating and training, with 13 CRNA programs statewide.
It’s up to us to tell our story to help patients, hospital administrators, health-care professionals, policy-makers, and others become more familiar with CRNAs and students who never leave their patient’s side during a procedure.
So celebrate this week. You earned it. Happy CRNA Week in Pennsylvania!
Angelarosa G. DiDonato, DNP, CRNA
President
Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists