Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Week

WHEREAS, Alabama is fortunate to be home to more than 1,400 certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists who live and work all across our state; and

WHEREAS, Alabama’s CRNAs, and thousands more across the nation, increase public understanding about the work they do, the rigor of their education and training, the numbers of patients they serve, and the uncompromising skill and proven safety with which they serve them; and

WHEREAS, I, Governor Robert Bentley, a physician, acknowledged the importance of their work saying, “Across the state, CRNAs work closely with our doctors to ensure that every patient in need gets the safe, compassionate anesthesia care they deserve.  Alabamians are grateful to our nurse anesthetists for their dedication, hard work and commitment to patient safety;” and

WHEREAS, each CRNA is a highly trained healthcare professional trained to serve in every setting where anesthesia is delivered – from treating patients in traditional hospital surgery and obstetrical delivery rooms to caring for injured soldiers on the front lines at war; and

WHEREAS, in addition to having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, or other appropriate undergraduate degree, any CRNA will have practiced for at least one year as a registered nurse in an intensive care setting, graduated from an accredited nurse anesthesia education program, which normally requires another 30 months of study, completed their clinical training, passed the national certification exam and must also obtain at least 40 hours of approved continuing education every two years; and 

WHEREAS, CRNAs are the sole providers of much needed anesthesia care in many rural counties and access to CRNAs in these medically underserved areas of our state allows local healthcare facilities to serve their communities with obstetrical, surgical and trauma stabilization care, when they otherwise might not be able to:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby proclaim January 23 through 29, 2012, as

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Week

in the State of the Alabama.

     

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 1st day of February 2012.

 

                                                                     

Robert Bentley, Governor