1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Full Practice Authority for VA Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) During the COVID-19 Pandemic May 27, 2020 On April 21, 2020, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued g
2、uidance to VA medical facilities to allow Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to have full practice authority (maximum breadth of practice allowable for a provider) within the scope of their license to provide anesthetic care. Specifically, it allows CRNAs to practice without physician s
3、upervision when licensed in a state that allows such practice. CRNAs are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who have completed postgraduate education and training and have been certified in the provision and managing of anesthesia. This temporary change in policy has once again brought into
4、 focus the debate, mainly between the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), about the scope of practice of CRNAs in the provision of anesthesia services at VA medical facilities. Scope of practice refers to requirements for practicing
