CRNA vs AA?

[Alexxoxox]

What is the real difference between a CRNA and an Anesthesiologist Assistant? Do hospitals prefer to hire one over the other? Which training is more rigorous? Any information on the difference between these two would be greatly appreciated!

[Guest1144461]

I feel like CRNAs snubbing their noses at AAs (PAs of anesthesia) are the same as MDAs snubbing their noses at CRNAs. It's a pseudo turf, control and money battle at the end of the day until proven otherwise. The quality of patient care aspect is a second thought.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

6 hours ago, Numenor said:

I feel like CRNAs snubbing their noses at AAs (PAs of anesthesia) are the same as MDAs snubbing their noses at CRNAs. It's a pseudo turf, control and money battle at the end of the day until proven otherwise. The quality of patient care aspect is a second thought.

AAs were invented as a market control mechanism by MDAs. AAs can never work independently and always have to work in an ACT. That very fact means that there will never be a study comparing the safety of independent AAs, because they don’t exist.
AAs are not PAs of anesthesia. There are actual PAs that do anesthesia. 

[loveanesthesia]

What wtb said. To quote the PA organization’s analysis of AAs ‘the only similarity between PAs and AAs is there is ‘assistant’ in both titles’.  
 

 

 

[Anesthesiaman]

There are no PAs that do Anesthesia...it's a separate program...PAs cannot practice anesthesia and AAs cannot practice as general PAs. Wtbcrna is absolutely right about the purpose of AAs. It helps protect MDs jobs. My mere purpose in commenting here was to make clear that AAs are competent anesthesia providers and there's no reason for CRNAs to make demeaning comments on here or in the community regarding AAs. In other words.... do your job and let me do mine without acting like your better.

[manusko]

This post had been dead for over 4 years. You decided to revive to do what? Now that you lost the argument you tell us to just do our job. Love when the aggressors become the victims. 

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

2 hours ago, Anesthesiaman said:

There are no PAs that do Anesthesia...it's a separate program...PAs cannot practice anesthesia and AAs cannot practice as general PAs. Wtbcrna is absolutely right about the purpose of AAs. It helps protect MDs jobs. My mere purpose in commenting here was to make clear that AAs are competent anesthesia providers and there's no reason for CRNAs to make demeaning comments on here or in the community regarding AAs. In other words.... do your job and let me do mine without acting like your better.

You really have an expectation for CRNAs to be welcoming and see AAs in a positive light when AAs sole purpose is to bring down salaries of CRNAs and keep a form of anesthesia practice alive that has not shown to have any benefit other than keeping MDAs out of the OR doing anesthesia and keeping MDA salaries up?…

As I’ve said multiple times too AAs and CRNAs are not the same. AAs cannot work independently and there are zero studies that show anything about independent AAs, because by virtue of their profession/ASA they do not exist. 

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

2 hours ago, Anesthesiaman said:

There are no PAs that do Anesthesia...it's a separate program...PAs cannot practice anesthesia and AAs cannot practice as general PAs. Wtbcrna is absolutely right about the purpose of AAs. It helps protect MDs jobs. My mere purpose in commenting here was to make clear that AAs are competent anesthesia providers and there's no reason for CRNAs to make demeaning comments on here or in the community regarding AAs. In other words.... do your job and let me do mine without acting like your better.

We have had this thread before. There are PAs that practice anesthesia. They are even fewer than AAs and have even less states that allow it, but they do exist.

 

https://www.aaspa.com/surgical-pa-specialities

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

2 hours ago, Anesthesiaman said:

There are no PAs that do Anesthesia...it's a separate program...PAs cannot practice anesthesia and AAs cannot practice as general PAs. Wtbcrna is absolutely right about the purpose of AAs. It helps protect MDs jobs. My mere purpose in commenting here was to make clear that AAs are competent anesthesia providers and there's no reason for CRNAs to make demeaning comments on here or in the community regarding AAs. In other words.... do your job and let me do mine without acting like your better.

I'd love to know by what mechanism you think AAs impact your salary?

AAs average salaries are lower and are used to bring down CRNA salaries in order for MDAs to make more. I’m pretty sure that is actually one of ASA pitches to politicians about how AAs help “reduce costs”..

[Guest1144461]

6 hours ago, wtbcrna said:

AAs were invented as a market control mechanism by MDAs. AAs can never work independently and always have to work in an ACT. That very fact means that there will never be a study comparing the safety of independent AAs, because they don’t exist.
AAs are not PAs of anesthesia. There are actual PAs that do anesthesia. 

I am not going to get into the details but it’s the reaction of CRNAs to another player in the field that gives me rise. It’s interesting is all. 

PA schools study two years under the medical model, don’t understand how that is terribly different from AAs (other than the ACT mode). PA are absolutely leveraged against NPs as a market tool all the time…no different there. The origin was different but metamorphosis is the same. MDs love PAs because they feel they can control them.

[loveanesthesia]

‘there's no reason for CRNAs to make demeaning comments on here or in the community regardingAAs. In other words.... do your job and let me do minewithout acting like your better.’
 

My purpose is to correct misinformation about comparisons with CRNAs. This forum is for RNs who wish to become CRNAs. CRNA programs are competitive and they need to know the extra work is worth it. If that’s demeaning to you there’s nothing I can do about that. AA programs are actively recruiting RNs and telling them there’s no difference. That’s intentionally misleading information. 

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

2 hours ago, Numenor said:

I am not going to get into the details but it’s the reaction of CRNAs to another player in the field that gives me rise. It’s interesting is all. 

PA schools study two years under the medical model, don’t understand how that is terribly different from AAs (other than the ACT mode). PA are absolutely leveraged against NPs as a market tool all the time…no different there. The origin was different but metamorphosis is the same. MDs love PAs because they feel they can control them.

PAs were invented to give returning military medics a place in the civilian sector. It has morphed into its own entity. 
AAs were invented as a control mechanism against CRNAs. 
PAs and NPs have close scope of practices, but NPs in some areas like CRNAs are able to practice completely independent. CRNAs and NPs increase access to healthcare. That isn’t what AAs do. AAs are a market manipulation. It has been shown time and again if CRNAs and MDAs all worked their own rooms even with board runners, floats etc there would be more than enough anesthesia providers without AAs. ACTs are a farce.