Nurse Anesthetists working without physician oversight

[Amiens]

Yes, I've been trying to get my brother to go into this. But sigh, he really really wants to be an MD instead. Just took his MCAT.

The route for CRNA is 4 year nursing school, 2 years ICU experience, and then 2 1/2 years of nurse anesthesia training for a total of 8 1/2 years compared to the 12 years to be an MD-anesthesiologist: 4 year BS, 4 year MD school and 4 year residency.

[Amiens]

I don't know... When dh is called in to place an iv that a nurse or crna can't get, I don't know how helpful it is to have him try to do this from our couch.

I know I'm sounding super blasé about this, but I just don't see how crnas can work entirely independently.

The same thing with intubations.

[alison]

And when the anesthesiologist can't get it, they call ent!

Deb - (or anyone)

What does your DH think about telemedicine as a possible solution? As in: having an anesthesiologist on a screen (or able to hop on a screen) if trouble arose? UC Davis in CA does this with many of the small rural hospitals to bring specialist expertise when transport is 4-5 hours away.

DH said an anesthesiologist can't run a code on screen. Some specialties might be good for telemedicine, but not this one. Can you imagine if Ob/Gyn worked that way, though?

[scrub-jay]

I agree it is not the same whatsoever, in CA I knew of a highlighted example where a FM (maybe ED?) doc used telemedicine to get assistance being talked through putting in a central line. I know this is not ideal, but I'd rather have an anesthesiologist over a screen rather than not at all. Rural medicine is tough to solve, especially when specialist care is over 2-4 hours away by helicopter! I still dont think granting the privileged to practice independently to individuals with less education & experience is in the best interests of patients.