River Parishes Hospital Celebrates National Nurse Anesthetists Week

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 23, 2004

Press Release

Nurse Anesthetists have been providing high-quality anesthesia care for more than 100 years,” said Paul Oberoi, MD, Anesthesiologist at River Parishes Hospital. “Patient safety is, and always has been, the number one priority for nurse anesthetists. They administer to the patient’s physical and emotional needs, offer reassurance and comfort, and stay right by the patient’s side throughout the surgery. These are the hallmarks of a CRNA.”

There are more than 26 million anesthetics given in the United States each year,” said Salle Herrle, Chief Nurse Executive at River Parishes Hospital, “and CRNAs administer approximately 65 percent of them.”

CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered, including traditional hospital surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms, physicians’ offices, ambulatory surgical centers, and medical facilities of the US Military, Public Health Service, and Veterans Administration.

In rural settings, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia providers in nearly two-thirds of all hospitals. CRNAs are also the main provider of obstetrical anesthesia in the United States, helping millions of mothers enjoy pain-free deliveries each year.

The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) provides guidance and direction for the nation’s 30,000 CRNAs. The AANA has been at the forefront of establishing clinical practice standards for the nurse anesthesia profession for more than 70 years.

“I can only imagine that the quality of anesthesia care will continue to improve in the next century,” said Oberoi. “You can bet CRNAs will be at the forefront of ensuring patient comfort and safety.”