An Evaluation of Critical Resources in Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs

Advanced practice nurses fill a vital need in the U.S. by increasing access to needed healthcare. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are one type of advanced practice nurse with a long history of safe and effective peri-anesthetic care. Nurse anesthetists have a rich tradition of providing anesthetic care for rural and underserved communities, and are a primary provider of anesthesia for active and retired military personnel. CRNAs comprise over one-half of the actively practicing U.S. anesthesia workforce currently, and are able to function in any anesthetic care model. Nurse anesthesia educational programs (NAEPs) are the single source for new graduate nurse anesthetists in the U.S. Demographic, geographic and epidemiological factors have combined to produce a predicted increase in the demand for peri-operative anesthesia care among a complex, aging and increasing patient population. The uninterrupted or increased supply of CRNAs to the anesthesia workforce is important. The goal of this study was the production of a comprehensive analysis of potential resource constraints upon the NAEPs in the U.S. This was accomplished through a focused, prospective and correlational research design, grounded conceptually in Resource Dependence Theory. A novel survey tool was developed for the assessment of critical resource constraints, completed by U.S. NAEP administrators and faculty. This research was exploratory in nature and is the basis for continued work in critical resource planning tools for U.S. NAEPs