Should the title "CRNA" be rebranded?

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I know CRNA's are Nurses at the core. However, all the derogatory comments and propaganda against the profession and full autonomous practice rights seem to be overly obsessed with the "Nurse" title. There are so many grossly exaggerated statistical data points that are used against CRNA's as if they are Peons with a preschool level training in regard to the administration of anesthesia. The title "Anesthesiologist" has been branded by Physicians as a propaganda piece to protect their over priced model of business.

MDA's obtain a Bachelors of Science in one of various disciplines. Then go on to medical school. Upon graduating from med school they do not retain the original name of their bachelors degree. MD's are not titled "Biologist Medical Doctor" or "Chemistry Medical Doctor" or "Musical Arts in conjunction with all the pre-med pre-reqs. to addend medical school Medical Doctor Anesthesiologist."

It seems that politicians when confronted with the idea to allow advanced fully autonomous practice rights for CRNA's seem to get hung up on the fact that they are "only Nurses".

Why do CRNA's not re-brand themselves as an anesthesia provider less the "Nurse" title?

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Why do CRNA's not re-brand themselves as an anesthesia provider less the "Nurse" title?

A rose by any other name....

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Specializes in CRNA.

Our nursing background is our stregnth. I agree that the perception of a 'nurse' is variable. I think the state boards of nursing should go after facilities that call medical assistants, or other nonnursing personnel 'nurses'. That is part of the problem. Advanced practice nursing is gaining ground, and we should keep moving forward. Removing nurse for CRNA would be a step back.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

The title CRNA along with many other attributes is what separates us from AAs.

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OP, I can see the point you're making, although I really don't know what a good solution (if any) would be.

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Specializes in cardiac, ICU, education.

Simply because MD's (all of them) go to medical school and CRNA's go to nursing school, not just for their undergrad, but the CRNA graduate education is done in a nursing college.

The title anesthesiologist is the name given to a medical doctor just like cardiologist or neurologist.

Every graduate of a nursing school has a nursing title. You would have to go to a different school to get a different title, like wtbcrna said - AA

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CRNA seems fine. Maybe just anesthetist would be a good name? who knows lol, but again then it would overrun with those AA people and whatever they sound like they do.

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Specializes in NICU.

I thought nurses were the first anesthetists in practice...

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I thought nurses were the first anesthetists in practice...

Nurses were probably the first people to give anesthesia full time. Medical students were actually some of the first people to give anesthesia, but they kept killing the patients so the surgeons thought it would be better/safer to have a dedicated nurse give anesthesia.

Anesthetists is how many AAs refer to themselves, which IMHO is just a way to deceive people into making them think they are equilavent to CRNAs. Anesthetist in the the U.K. are physicians/anesthesiologists.

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Specializes in Family Nursing & Psychiatry.

"Anesthetist" would be an appropriate term. I'm not a big fan of having such a long title that includes "certified" and "registered." I personally prefer the term "Nurse Anesthetist." I think all advanced practice roles should retain "nurse." This can only be built as a strength.

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Grump alert.... this is a dumb conversation. Bigger fish to fry than this and no one is going to change the term CRNA or nurse anesthetist.

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