LETTER: CRNAs deserve title recognition in Pa.

Washington Observer-Reporter | March 27, 2021

In the most ordinary situations, surgery and anesthesia can be frightening or intimidating. Certified registered nurse anesthetists provide comfort and reassurance to help diminish these uncomfortable feelings and they never leave their patient’s side. We’re usually the last people patients see before a procedure begins and the first to greet them when they awaken.

When this pandemic separated families in crisis, the promise of CRNAs to be there for every heartbeat, every breath took on a whole new meaning. CRNAs are uniquely qualified to care for critically ill patients who are suffering because of this respiratory pandemic. Many CRNAs have been serving as frontline health-care workers, fulfilling critical roles inside and outside the operating room during this crisis.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania remains just one of two states that fails to formally recognize “certified registered nurse anesthetist” in some form. Because there is no definition for nurse anesthetists under the state’s Professional Nursing Law, CRNAs are recognized only as registered nurses, despite their advanced education and training. The lack of recognition leads to underutilization of CRNAs in many critical roles. This brings logistical and financial challenges, and Pennsylvania CRNAs often must obtain credentials from other states for certain activities such as serving in the United States military.

It’s long past time for the state to act. The commitment of CRNAs during this health-care crisis has availed more physicians to provide hands-on care, expanded the capacity of both CRNA and physician providers to help patients, and augmented the state’s health-care system to continue to meet the growing demands of this pandemic. CRNAs deserve full title recognition in Pennsylvania.

Heather A. Towers DNAP, CRNA

Venetia

https://observer-reporter.com/opinion/letters/letter-crnas-deserve-title-recognition-in-pa/article_afe472da-8da3-11eb-882b-77355f4d9df4.html

Letter to the Editor: State needs to recognize certified registered nurse anesthetists

To the Times:

Surgery and anesthesia can be intimidating. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice nurses who specialize in anesthesia and are required to be experienced critical care nurses. CRNAs provide continuous care during anesthesia. We’re usually the last people patients see before a procedure begins and the first to greet them when they awaken. Frequently, anesthesia includes amnesic agents and often, our patients do not remember us or even realize they were cared for by a nurse anesthetist.

During this pandemic, many CRNAs served as front line health-care workers, fulfilling critical roles inside and outside the operating room. CRNAs were uniquely able to utilize their specialized skill set, which includes critical care experience, to care for critically ill patients suffering from this respiratory pandemic in intensive care units or operating rooms.

CRNAs are recognized only as registered nurses, not nurse anesthetists, in Pennsylvania, despite their advanced education and training because there is no definition for nurse anesthetists under Pennsylvania’s Professional Nursing Law. Pennsylvania remains one of only two states that fail to formally recognize CRNAs. This roadblock forces Pennsylvania CRNAs to obtain credentials from other states to provide mission, volunteer, and military work.

Pennsylvania legislators should act to provide CRNAs with the title recognition they need and have earned.

Jodie Szlachta CRNA, Ph.D, Program Director, Crozer-Chester Medical Center / Villanova University Nurse Anesthesia Program

Source: DelcoTimes

PANA Joins Nurse Associations to Petition Board of Nursing on Licensing Issues

The Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) has joined with the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) to urge the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing (SBON) to add us to the March 15 agenda to discuss urgent concerns and challenges regarding licensing.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE FEB. 18 LETTER HERE.

Members have been contacting the associations to report difficulties related to initial licensure and/or renewal application processes. In 2020, members increased their communication regarding unanswered or unresolved issues, specifically lack of support from the SBON and inability to reach the SBON. In fact, members’ calls to the SBON are not connected or left on hold for hours. In turn, they contact their membership organizations to intervene.

The organizations have numerous examples where an employer has suspended a nurse due to a lag in new or renewal applications. These unacceptable delays are preventing qualified licensees from treating patients in the Commonwealth, particularly during a national pandemic.

The BPOA 2018 Review of State Professional and Occupational Licensure Board Requirements and Processes stated that, for Boards under BPOA jurisdiction, the average processing time for license reactivations was 6.8 days. The SBON’s average was 43 days --- before COVID. Yet the SBON website’s Nursing Guide boasts that "on average, renewal licenses for RN are issued within three calendar days."

A request was made to discuss the following:

· Hiring additional staff to process licenses during the next biennial renewal period.

· Establishing a committee to investigate and propose solutions to licensure issues.

· Providing briefings on the SBON’s efforts to improve processing times for all types of licenses under its jurisdiction at every public SBON meeting.

· Reorganizing the SBON’s website to clarify licensure processes and accurately display average processing times for initial and renewal applications.

· Ensuring that no phone call, voicemail, email, or letter from a licensee goes unanswered.

We will keep you informed about any response we received from SBON and updates on the March 15 meeting.