Owens: Proposed bill would empower Virginia nurse anesthetists
Note: This column was published in The Virginian-Pilot.
Proposed bill would empower Virginia nurse anesthetists
By Derek Owens, DrAP, CRNA
Every year across the country, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) — also known as nurse anesthesiologists or — safely administer more than 58 million anesthetics to patients. During National CRNA Week, Jan. 19-25, I am proud to count myself among the nearly 78,000 CRNAs celebrating our profession.
Since 2000, National CRNA Week has brought attention to the important role CRNAs play in improving and providing access to safe anesthesia care. From collaborating on transformative wins in health care policy that advance patient care to providing patients with anesthesia care where and when they need it most, the unique expertise of nurse anesthetists helps ensure communities are safe and healthy.
This year’s theme, “CRNAs: Exceptional Care. Innovative Leaders,” acknowledges that we deliver safe, high-quality anesthesia services to our patients because of our extensive education and training. Through many years of preparation and field experience, advanced-practice registered nurses such as CRNAs have a well-deserved reputation for providing safe, effective, efficient and compassionate care. For more than 150 years, CRNAs have provided anesthesia care to patients worldwide.
During my time in the military, I delivered anesthesia safely and independently in the Sahara Desert, on board a ship in the South China Sea and in remote Alaskan villages. I have also delivered anesthesia care as a civilian practitioner. Of these hundreds of cases, none would have been possible without the ability of CRNAs to practice safely and independently. I am able to practice nurse anesthesiology today because of the many nurse anesthetists who have provided this same level of care and compassion in the decades before me.
With our strong history of safety and hard-earned expertise in the health care space, it is baffling to me that we are still fighting to secure our profession’s right to practice to the full extent of our education and training and our right to be respected in our field as anesthesia experts.
In 2024, Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care examined and debated the contents of a report that analyzed the scope of practice and current needs of the anesthesia workforce in Virginia. The report clearly demonstrated that Virginia CRNAs are highly educated and experienced health care professionals with the necessary training and knowledge to administer anesthesia safely and effectively without the need for physician supervision. The report also indicated that continued supervision restrictions could pose a potential barrier to critical anesthesia access for patients in Virginia. The report provided policy options to further align Virginia’s anesthesia regulations with the rest of the country, as Virginia is one of seven states still requiring physician supervision of CRNAs.
As the General Assembly begins work on another fast-paced legislative cycle, CRNAs are excited to see the introduction of Del. Mark Sickles’ House Bill 2391, allowing CRNAs to practice without physician supervision in Virginia. This legislation maintains a CRNA and physician relationship but updates Virginia’s code to reflect what’s happening in surgical facilities today. As the Virginia Department of Health Professions found in 2023, Virginia is an anomaly compared to other state rules regarding the practice requirements for nurse anesthetists. Passing HB2391 would modernize Virginia’s anesthesia workforce and align our regulations with the vast majority of the nation.
As members of America’s most trusted profession, CRNAs have served on the front lines of patient care for decades. We continue to answer the call to help keep patients healthy and safe while administering the care they need and deserve. During CRNA Week, I encourage everyone to recognize all CRNAs and their work as innovative leaders who deliver exceptional care in critical moments.
Derek Owens, DrAP, CRNA of Ashland, VA is president of the Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists. He served in the U.S. Navy and the Navy Reserves, and has practiced nurse anesthesia in eastern Europe, Africa, Japan, California, Alaska, Arizona and Virginia. For more information, visit VirginiaCRNA.org.
