New Study Adds Evidence to Benefits of Full Practice Authority

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the commonwealth issued a temporary blanket waiver that enabled advanced practice nurses, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training to enhance the state’s response to the health-care crisis.

A new study, “Impact of reduced restrictions in scope of practice of nurse anesthetists on patient safety across states,” published in Journal of Nursing Regulation, makes clear that was the right thing to do — and that the move led to real health-care benefits for patients.

The authors examined the impact of the pandemic-related reduced restrictions in scope of practice, specifically allowing CRNAs to practice to the full extent of their education and training, on anesthesia-related complications rates.

What they found is that there was a statistically significant reduction in anesthesia complications in states that allowed pandemic-related reduced restrictions in state scope of practice compared to states with no change in scope of practice.

In other words, the authors concluded that reduced restrictions in state scope of practice during the pandemic were not associated with any increase but in fact showed a decrease in anesthesia-related complications.

These findings add to existing evidence on the safety of anesthesia procedures performed by CRNAs and expand the evidence to include safe procedures during the pandemic. The findings inform strategic planning and public policy to reform the health-care system to prepare prudently for future emergencies.

Read the full report HERE.

BU students win Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists Spring Symposium competition

Posted: May. 11, 2022 in Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania News

BU's winning team members: left to right: Matthew Moore, Matthew Homishak (holding oxygen tank trophy), Ciana Rollman, Elise Slaughter (in back).

The Geisinger/Bloomsburg University Nurse Anesthesia Program's Class of 2022 students won the annual College Bowl at the Pennsylvania Association Of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) Spring Symposium in Hershey, Pa.

Bloomsburg's winning team members included Ciana Rollman, Elise Slaughter, Matthew Homishak, and Matthew Moore. The event was hosted by Daniel Fraska, co-founder of APEX Anesthesia.

“Congratulations to our students involved in this competition,” said Dr. Latha Ramakrishnan, Dean of the College of Science and Technology. “The work, they and our faculty members, put in preparing for the event is to be commended. Everyone at Bloomsburg University is proud of them.”

The College Bowl contestants included 11 teams from eight universities across Pennsylvania. The annual competition challenges anesthesia programs from across the region in a test of anesthetic knowledge. The winners will retain possession of the oxygen tank trophy at the BU nurse anesthesia program office until next year's event.

"I’m incredibly proud of our students for winning our program’s first PANA College Bowl competition,” said Debra Minzola, Ph.D., CRNA, program director of the Geisinger/Bloomsburg University Nurse Anesthesia Program and associate professor at Bloomsburg University. “Not only did they get to represent Geisinger and Bloomsburg University while demonstrating their advanced knowledge of anesthesia, but their participation also supports and enhances the profession of nurse anesthesia as a whole.”

The win was the first-ever for Bloomsburg University in the competition.

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PANA Members Discuss What Blanket Waiver During Pandemic Really Means

Blanket waiver removing physician supervision requirement benefits health-care facilities, patients during pandemic

The Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists achieved a significant victory for the profession in May when Gov. Tom Wolf announced a temporary blanket waiver removing the physician supervision requirement for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs).

The waiver has been hugely important as part of the state’s response to the health-care crisis caused by COVID-19. Advanced practice nurses like CRNAs can finally practice to the fullest extent of their education and training.

That avails more physicians to provide hands-on care. It expands the capacity of both CRNAs and physician providers. It augments the state’s health-care system to continue to meet growing demands during this pandemic. And it ensures patients get the best care.

But what has this waiver really meant for CRNAs, health-care facilities and the patients we serve? Here are some firsthand accounts from CRNAs on the frontline. (Please note that the names of the CRNAs and their facilities have been removed to ensure their anonymity and protection in the workplace.)

“I work in a critical access hospital and since the governor removed the supervision requirement, the anesthesiologists are now running their own room and I’m working in another room with my surgeon --- which means we are able to provide two times the services!”

“We at our local Hospital started a COVID response team in conjunction with the ER and ICU. We responded to all COVID intubations, put in an arterial line, a central line, and intubated the patients. We also helped manage vent settings/unstable patients as needed.”

“My hospital told our anesthesiologists that they will be taking their own assignment and that the CRNAs will work alone until we get caught up on elective surgeries. Many of our anesthesiologists resigned because they don’t want to give anesthesia.”

“Yes, we have provided a CRNA from our department for 24-hour coverage of the COVID units to act as an NP to help assess patients, place lines, and act as extenders for the critical care intensivists in our county. The chief in my group was able to use the supervision waiver for us to work outside of the OR and in the OR without supervising anesthesiologists.”

“The orthopedic surgeons at my hospital have always wanted an ologist available. That has all changed. The CRNAs are working alone and our ologist was given the option of working in a room or taking time off unpaid.”

It’s clear: Gov. Wolf’s decision to issue that temporary blanket waiver and remove the physician supervision requirement for certified registered nurse anesthetists is making a real difference.

The waiver was included in an executive order that the governor signed to protect health-care practitioners for good-faith actions taken in response to this crisis, and it remains in effect for the duration of the governor’s disaster proclamation, which gives him broad powers to manage this public health emergency.

The proclamation was renewed for 90 days in early June. Lawmakers challenged the extension. But state judges sided with the governor. That means the proclamation remains in place for at least two more months. As long as the governor’s disaster proclamation remains in place, so does his blanket waiver removing the physician supervision requirement for CRNAs.

Stories like these from our CRNAs prove that this policy shouldn’t just be implemented during a pandemic, but instead be permanent to ensure patient health and safely and to give greater options to health-care facilities to provide the best care to those in need.