About Us
Mission Statement
The Georgia Association of Nurse Anesthetists is a non-profit organization committed to advancing patient safety by supporting and furthering the practice of nurse anesthesia in Georgia.
History
Rosalie C. McDonaldAANA President 1942-44
As early as 1916, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) were providing anesthesia at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. In 1938, seventeen CRNAs established the Georgia Association of Nurse Anesthetists (GANA). Spearheading the formation of the GANA was Rosalie C. McDonald, who became its first president. Ms. McDonald later served as the sixth president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), our national organization. More than 90% of U.S. nurse anesthetists are members of the AANA.
Today, the GANA has grown to represent over 800 members and is among the oldest and largest CRNA state organization in the United States. CRNAs are committed to caring for Georgia by providing vigilant, high-quality, and cost effective anesthesia services. Nurse anesthesia is safe anesthesia.
CRNAs in Georgia practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered: traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; critical access hospitals; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and U.S. military, Public Health Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS (AANA)
Founded in 1931, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is the professional association for more than 37,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student nurse anesthetists. CRNAs are anesthesia professionals who safely administer approximately 30 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States. Nurse anesthetists have been providing anesthesia care to patients in the United States for more than 125 years. According to a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, anesthesia care today is nearly 50 times safer than it was 20 years ago. Numerous outcomes studies have demonstrated that there is no difference in the quality of care provided by CRNAs and the physician counterparts.
CRNAs provide anesthesia in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other qualified healthcare professionals. When anesthesia is administered by a nurse anesthetist, it is recognized as the practice of nursing; when administered by an anesthesiologist, it is recognized as the practice of medicine. Regardless of whether their educational background is in nursing or medicine, all anesthesia professionals give safe anesthesia.
CRNAs are the primary anesthesia providers in rural America, enabling healthcare facilities in these medically underserved areas to offer obstetrical, surgical, and trauma stabilization services. In some states, CRNAs are the sole providers in nearly 100% of the rural hospitals.
Education and experience required to become a CRNA include:
- A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or other appropriate baccalaureate degree.
- A current license as a registered nurse.
- At least one year of experience as a registered nurse in an acute care setting.
- Graduation with a master’s degree from an accredited nurse anesthesia educational program. As of February 2008, there were 108 nurse anesthesia programs with more than 1,700 affiliated clinical sites in the United States. These programs range from 24-36 months, depending upon university requirements. All programs include clinical training in university-based or large community hospitals.
- Pass a national certification examination following graduation.
In order to become recertified, CRNAs must obtain a minimum of 40 hours of approved continuing education every two years, document substantial anesthesia practice, maintain current state licensure, and certify that they have not developed any conditions that could adversely affect their ability to practice anesthesia.
