FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tyler Pointer
Jan. 24, 2022 tyler@txana.org | 512-495- 9004
NATIONAL CRNA WEEK HIGHLIGHTS CRITICAL ROLE OF
CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS IN TEXAS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
AUSTIN, TEXAS— The Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TxANA), the nation’s largest state association of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), recognizes and celebrates the critical role CRNAs play in Texas’ health care system during National CRNA Week, Jan. 23-29.
TxANA is working to educate Texans about the role of CRNAs in providing safe and effective anesthesia care for every patient. CRNA Week recognizes the contributions of CRNAs and Student Registered Nurses Anesthetists (SRNAs) in Texas and across the United States.
“As they have for more than 150 years, CRNAs remain with their patients throughout their procedures, administering safe anesthetic care, monitoring and treating alterations in the patient’s vital signs, and managing emergencies should they arise,” said Abby Caswell, DNP, CRNA, who currently serves as President of the TxANA Board of Directors.
More than 5,400 CRNAs are licensed to work in Texas, and they practice in every setting in which anesthesia care is delivered, including:
“CRNAs across Texas have made patient safety our number one priority. The COVID-19 pandemic has tested many professions within the healthcare industry. CRNAs have been and continue to be on the frontlines of the COVID response in Texas hospitals and operating rooms.,” Caswell said.
A recent study published by the American Journal of Nursing found that CRNAs reported feeling more resilient than other professionals and were found to have the highest resilience of all the specialists who were studied.
CRNA Week is celebrated across the nation in conjunction with the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology’s (AANA). The focus of this year’s celebration is to show CRNAs on the frontlines in diverse settings, where these trusted experts deliver and advocate for safe and effective anesthesia care for all patients.
For more information about the role of CRNAs in Texas, visit txana.org. To learn more about CRNA Week, visit aana.com/membership/national-crna-week.
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About TxANA
The Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TxANA) was founded on August 9, 1974. Its goals include facilitating cooperation between nurse anesthetists and the medical profession, hospitals, healthcare providers, and other agencies interested in anesthesia. The membership is limited to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and Nurse Anesthesia Students who are members of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).
Nurses were the first professional group to specialize in and provide anesthesia services in the United States in the 1880s. Today there are over 59,000 CRNAs practicing throughout the United States, of which, more than 5,400 are located in Texas. CRNAs are advanced practice nurses registered by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). CRNAs must hold a current state license as a registered nurse, graduate from an approved educational program, successfully complete the certification examination and comply with continuing education requirements for recertification (see here for CRNA regulation of practice in Texas). Learn more at www.txana.org.
