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

PANA President Marks CRNA Week in Pa.

🔹🔹🔹On behalf of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists, I want to wish everyone a happy National CRNA Week in Pa.! The annual celebration this year runs Jan. 21-27.

With more than 3,700 certified registered nurse anesthetists and student anesthetists across the state, PANA has emerged as a recognized a leader in helping the state address rising health-care costs, protect patient health, and ensure access to quality care.

While CRNA Week is just a snapshot in time, the critical role we play is year-round. More and more people are starting to understand our importance and appreciate the value CRNAs bring to the health-care arena.

Here are a few facts that might be of interest:

• CRNAs were the first professional group to provide anesthesia in the United States, first providing anesthesia to wounded soldiers during the Civil War.

• Today, there are more than 61,000 practicing CRNAs in the United States.

• Pennsylvania ranks among the top nationally for CRNA students, with 14 highly rated nurse anesthetist programs spread out across our commonwealth.

• The average nurse anesthetist completes an average of 9,369 clinical hours of training prior to becoming a CRNA.

• CRNAs have been the main providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel on the front lines since World War I and remain the primary anesthesia providers in austere combat theaters.

• CRNAs are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural America and underserved communities.

These are just a few of the facts we will share publicly over the next few days.

Visit our CRNA Week website at https://www.panaforqualitycare.com/2024-crna-week to learn more. To stay up to date with everything that’s happening, join our new TikTok account, follow us on Facebook, talk to us on Twitter, and see us on Instagram.

This is the second time I have served as PANA president. I could not be prouder to be a CRNA, and I could not be more honored to partner with such an outstanding group of professionals who will do anything to keep their patients healthy and safe.

I know the time you have invested to be the best you can be, and I know the care and commitment you have devoted to the science and art of anesthesia. Thank you for all you do, and …

Happy National CRNA Week in Pa.! 

by Angelarosa DiDonato, DNP, CRNA 

President, Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists 

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PANA Members Pack the Halls of Capitol in D.C.

The AANA Mid-Year Assembly is nurse anesthetists’ largest advocacy event of the year, and this year the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) sent a small army to the nation’s capital to inform federal lawmakers and advocate for our shared profession.

📝PANA had 76 registrants for the annual event in Washington, D.C. Over the course of the assembly, which ran April 29 to May 3, Pennsylvania-based certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and students (SRNAs), advocating in groups, convened 19 in-person meetings with lawmakers or their key staff members.

🏛️Where we couldn’t meet with lawmakers or staff, our team dropped off packets of information and promised to follow up to secure in-district meetings, something any of us can do whenever our schedules allow. Advocacy is key to promoting our issues and strengthening our profession.

The Mid-Year Assembly happened a bit later than usual this year, bumping up against PANA’s own Spring Symposium in Hershey, so the time crunch was a real challenge for many of our CRNAs and SRNAs, but the number of attendees proves our devotion to the cause.

PANA Members Pack the Halls of Capitol in D.C.

What’s more, for some of our SRNAs, the Mid-Year Assembly came during finals week, too. In fact, a few students from the University of Scranton School of Nurse Anesthesia went above and beyond --- not only in their advocacy but in their assigned schoolwork. They took finals remotely, either in the middle of the day or at the start of a long day running between office buildings to attend meetings. That commitment is impressive.

The Mid-Year Assembly offers five days of educational sessions, live speakers, legislative lobbying, and networking, all of which is important for attendees to gain the knowledge and tools to drive change in our profession, enhance their careers, and promote CRNAs at both the national and state levels.

🩺Thank you to everyone who participated. As tiring as Mid-Year Assembly can be, it is equally impressive, and the talent we see among our CRNAs and SRNAs gives us confidence in the good work we are doing to affect change that enhances our profession, improves health-care delivery models and ensures patients have affordable access to the highest level of care.

PANA Advocates with Senator Bob Casey

But wait...there's more 📷!

THANK YOU, CRNAs AND SRNAs FOR ATTENDING THE 2023 AANA MYA !!!

INTERESTED IN JOINING US? CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION