Newswise — PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS – Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) can achieve excellent care for veterans and help avoid the tragic outcomes that can result from excessive wait times in the VA system, said Juan Quintana, DNP, MHS, CRNA, president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) in an exclusive interview with Veterans Radio.
In regard to the VA’s proposed rule to expand the role of APRNs, including CRNAs, in the VA system, Quintana said, “Sometimes the wait times at the VA service centers are and can be fairly terrible. We know…that sometimes veterans are waiting for their services to their detriment, and potentially in some cases, have lost their lives because of it.”
“So what has happened over the last few years,” he continued, “is that nursing, in cooperation with the Institute of Medicine, has really determined that nurses could make a significant impact in alleviating these waits and hopefully getting access to services to veterans who really need that care.”
Quintana went on to explain, “The value of nursing today is much broader than it was in the past. Not too long ago, only physicians could take someone’s blood pressure. Now today you can go into Walmart and get your blood pressure taken.”
Radio host Jim Fausone, a lawyer and veterans advocate, spoke with Quintana for nearly half an hour on topics ranging from what APRNs and CRNAs do, their educational requirements, the VA proposed rule, important anesthesia studies, and the politics of the current proposal.
The episode can be heard at Blog Talk Radio. Comments are being accepted by the VA until July 25, 2016. To support the VA proposed rule, please go to www.VeteransAccesstoCare.com.
About Veterans RadioVeterans Radio is dedicated to all the men and women who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces of the United States of America. Our mission is to see that the world appreciates what extraordinary things ordinary people have done to gain and preserve the freedom we assume everyone enjoys—and the ultimate price that is often paid. http://veteransradio.net/
About the American Association of Nurse AnesthetistsFounded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., the AANA is the professional organization for more than 49,000 nurse anesthetists across the United States. As anesthesia specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) safely provide approximately 40 million anesthetics to patients each year for surgical, obstetrical, pain management, and trauma stabilization services. CRNAs deliver essential healthcare in thousands of communities and are able to prevent gaps in access to anesthesia services, especially in rural, inner-city, and other medically underserved areas of the country. They are highly valued in today’s healthcare environment because they deliver the same safe, high-quality anesthesia care as other anesthesia professionals but at a lower cost, helping to control rising healthcare costs. Additional information about the AANA and CRNAs is available at www.aana.com, www.VeteransAccesstoCare.com, and www.aana.com/future-today.
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