Anesthesiologists and certified
registered nurse anesthetists
provide high-quality, efficacious
anesthesia care to the U.S.
population.
This research and analyses
indicate that CRNAs are less
costly to train than anesthesiologists
and have the potential for
providing anesthesia care efficiently.
Anesthesiologists and CRNAs
can perform the same set of
anesthesia services, including
relatively rare and difficult procedures
such as open heart
surgeries and organ transplantations,
pediatric procedures,
and others.
CRNAs are generally salaried,
their compensation lags behind
anesthesiologists, and they
generally receive no overtime
pay.
As the demand for health care
continues to grow, increasing
the number of CRNAs, and permitting
them to practice in the
most efficient delivery models,
will be a key to containing costs
while maintaining quality care.
Read the Full article in Nursing Economic$, 2010;28(3):159-169.