TxANA Stands Against CRNAs Teaching AA Students

​AUSTIN, TEXAS— The Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TxANA) stands resolutely against Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) participating in the training of Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA) students. While CRNAs have a long history of sharing expertise by training other professionals in specific clinical skills, such as airway management, there is a fundamental difference between training another provider in a particular skill and training another provider when their education levels do not align. Given the distinct differences between the roles, scopes of practice, and regulatory boards governing CRNAs and AAs, we assert that CRNAs must not be involved in AA education.

​As autonomous providers, CRNAs are educated and licensed to independently formulate and execute anesthesia care plans pursuant to physician delegation. CRNAs are not required to work under the supervision of physician anesthesiologists, operating instead with full accountability under the Texas Board of Nursing. AAs, by contrast, are supervised providers whose role is explicitly limited to assisting physician anesthesiologists within an anesthesia care team (ACT) and who function under the Board of Medicine. Consequently, physician anesthesiologists, not CRNAs, are the appropriate individuals to instruct AA students, given the alignment of their practice environments and supervision requirements.

CRNAs’ extensive education, critical care experience, and rigorous training uniquely qualify them to educate Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs), who are preparing for the same scope of autonomous practice. By involving CRNAs in the training of AA students, we risk exposing CRNAs to undue liability, as any incident involving an AA student under a CRNA’s guidance could place the CRNA in a legally vulnerable position, especially considering that CRNAs lack supervisory authority over AAs. CRNAs should focus on mentoring SRNAs, ensuring the quality, safety, and autonomy of the nurse anesthesia profession.

To protect the standards of CRNA practice, we reaffirm our stance: CRNAs must not participate in educating AA students. To uphold the integrity of our profession and ensure the safety of the patients we serve, CRNAs' training expertise is best applied to the education and advancement of CRNA students, not AA students.

Download printable statement here.