Chances are, if you’ve had surgery at Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital (SGCMH), you’ve met Rob Walsh or Mary Kay Bader, both Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Nurse anesthetists have been providing anesthesia care to patients in the United States for nearly 150 years. CRNAs came into existence in 1956, and now safely administer more than 32 million anesthetics to patients each year.
CRNAs are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural America, enabling healthcare facilities like Ste. Genevieve County Memorial to offer patients freedom from pain and facilitate medical treatments from the most common to the life-saving.
Rob Walsh, CRNA for 5 years, said nurse anesthetists have shown through the years to be a very cost effective way to provide anesthesia care.
“We are credentialed and licensed to practice all realms of anesthesia services--general anesthetics, local and regional anesthetics, and anesthetics for obstetrics, such as epidurals,” Walsh said. “Our services are quite often used in rural hospitals, and though they me be smaller hospitals, they do offer a whole gambit of services. A nurse anesthetist fits well in this type of setting.”
Mary Kay Bader, CRNA for the past 22 years, described the mechanics of her job.
“We (CRNAs) interview patients, review charts and perform histories and physicals, do preoperative teaching and develop an individualized anesthesia plan,” she explained. “While the patients are in surgery, we administer anesthesia while at the same time monitor vital signs, blood loss, body temperature and positioning. Patient safety is the number one priority for nurse anesthetists. We are with you during every breath and every heartbeat while you sleep.”
The field of anesthesia has changed dramatically over the years, and continues to evolve. Knowing the type of anesthesia you will receive before a medical procedure or surgery will help you know what to expect in terms of preparation, pain relief and recovery.
“Take peripheral nerve block anesthesia, for instance.” said Walsh. “It offers many clinical advantages that contribute to both an improved patient outcome and lower overall healthcare costs. Nerve blocks really help in the post operative phase in making a total knee replacement, for example, much more comfortable in the hours following the procedure so the patient can begin rehabilitation much faster in a much more comfortable fashion.”
Numerous studies have demonstrated that there is no difference in the quality of care provided by CRNAs and anesthesiologists, their physician counterparts. CRNA training is quite extensive. 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 to two years of experience as a registered nurse in an acute care setting.
•Graduation with a minimum of a master’s degree from an accredited nurse anesthesia educational program.
These programs, which are highly selective of their students, range from 24-36 months, depending upon university requirements. All programs include clinical training in university-based or large community hospitals.
•Pass the national certification examination following graduation.
Both Walsh and Bader agree that a career as a CRNA can be very diverse and rewarding.
“The field of anesthesia is wide open,” said Bader. “CRNAs work with general and orthopedic surgeons, OB physicians, dentists, podiatrists and other qualified healthcare professionals. It’s a great career and has just been fantastic.”
Walsh echoed her sentiments.
“It’s a fantastic occupation,” he said. “We probably know 95% of the patients that come in here. The good experiences our patients have spread by word of mouth and many come back and ask for us. That feels good. This job is a privilege. We both thoroughly enjoy what we do, and when you can say that, it’s not a job, it’s a vocation.”
