Do CRNAs teach AAs in Clinical (at Emory)?

jwk · Mar 24, 2005

Since AAs are so few, their involvement with SRNAs will of course always be uncommon.
>>From a 2002 ASA newsletter. Anesthesiologist assistants: (snip)
> ....Currently, 525 AAs practice in Georgia and 84 practice in Ohio. No
> other state
> has more than eight assistants in practice, and most states have none
> ......
> 8 percent of Emory's graduates went on to medical school. Almost 35
> percent of Case Western's graduates went on to medical school ......
After 30 years of training AAs at two programs, not much to show.
deepz

2002 is 3 years ago - since that time there have been 3 more classes graduate from each school. And of course there is now a 3rd program getting ready to start it's second year. As more schools come on line, that number will of course increase.

I wonder how many CRNA's graduated in the first 30 years of CRNA-dom?

rn29306 · Mar 24, 2005

Since going multi-site just this year, including 4 sites in northern Georgia, we were EXPLICITLY told that we could not be in the room with an AA. We were informed this is not only a COA rule, but also a verdict by the lawyers between the university and the hospitals we do clinicals where AAs are employed.

This is unfortunate, since only by seeing different approaches and deciding for yourself what works and what does not, are we able to take textbook information and formulate our own specialized art of anesthesia. Until this clarification, I had worked with several of them at various times and found the experience to be educational. The CRNAs at these facilities take AA students from schools in Georgia, but the AAs cannot take CRNA students. This is now a known fact and there are no hard feelings. The political BS that floats around is often dissolved in the real world. I have found the AAs that I have come in contact with to be great teachers and not lacking in knowledge in any way.

deepz · Mar 25, 2005

.....I wonder how many CRNA's graduated in the first 30 years of CRNA-dom?.....

You forget: we CRNAs are not the interlopers, brought in by the Massahs to dumb down the provision of hands-on anesthesia care; nurse anesthetists are the original, chosen over medical students and janitors of the 1880s and handed the ether can because we nurses are, among other things, trained to pay attention, to put the patient first.

31,000 strong today, we don't need to go scrounging for validation on AA BBs.

deepz

Laughing Gas · Mar 25, 2005

I tend to get rather passionate about this topic.

First, to the person that stated that this issue proves that CRNA's are in this for the money; get a clue. This is an insanely insulting statement. Enough said.

I have never doubted that your average AA may be just as skilled, or gasp, more skilled than an average CRNA. But the notion that Nurse Anesthetists are supposed to welcome AA's with open arms is alittle optimistic. Ask yourself why AA's are starting to become a bit en vogue. CRNA's are the original anesthetists. They set the standard. Satisfaction ratings for CRNA's are beyong those of MDA's and most other APN fields. We are cost effective to boot. So why the need for another field of anesthetists? Are AA's better? Do they add something lacking in nurse anesthesia? Is it because they work for less? These are rhetorical questions, feel free to add your own. Why the need to circumvent a very solid tradition of excellent training by introducing a new field? If you want to be an anesthestist, go to CRNA school.

I am not sure why we are supposed to feel guilty about protecting our standards and traditions. It is not wrong to look out for your profession. I have no vested interest in AA's. I do care what happens to CRNA's, and will do anything in my power to maintain our practice. Ok, as someone not so eloquently put it, our turf. I am unable to think of another professional organization that would be expected to welcome a group into their practice. Think the AMA would like another group calling themselves doctors? Think the UAW would like a bunch of non union workers filling up Ford's plants?

Now before the flaming begins, this is a political opinion not a statement of clinical ability or knowledge. Having been a veteran of many of these AA postings, things get ugly. So I will say once more.. I DO NOT DOUBT THE ABILITY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL AA. NOR DO I WISH TO ATTACK YOUR PROFESSION. I am just looking out for my brothers' and sisters' interest.

Best of luck to all

Ted · Mar 25, 2005

thread re-opened. trollish posts and a few reponses to these "troll-posts" were deleted.

remember, personal attacks are not allowed on this bulletin board!

additionally, if you see a "problem post", report it to the moderators. let us deal with the situation. in the long run, it may help prevent a thread from getting too out of hand and thus help prevent its closure. in other words, don't feed the trolls!