Graves cosponsors House resolution promoting nurse anesthetists profession

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) supports a new bipartisan resolution to recognize and promote the profession of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).

“Nurse anesthetists are incredibly important to our healthcare system, particularly in rural America,” Rep. Graves said. “Providing quality care at a low cost is extremely critical to ensuring that folks are able to access the care that they need.”

Rep. Graves is the lead original cosponsor of House Resolution (H.Res.) 807, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) to recognize this year’s National CRNA Week and to further promote the profession, among other provisions.

Kate Jansky, president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, said the organization’s members are honored by the introduction of the resolution, which she said will bring the profession much-needed recognition.

For instance, H.Res. 807 acknowledges that CRNAs “safely administer more than 49 million anesthetics to patients each year” across myriad settings, including hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, and plastic surgeons; ambulatory surgical centers; and U.S. military and public health services, as well as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

“I want to thank all nurse anesthetists for the hard work they put into their craft and the care that they provide in north Missouri and around the country,” said Rep. Graves.

National CRNA Week was held Jan. 19-25 to raise public awareness and celebrate the nation’s 54,000 CRNAs and student registered nurse anesthetists, according to the resolution, which would resolve that “patients, hospital administrators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and others” should become more familiar with the CRNA credential.