A CMS report indicated that certified registered nurse anesthetists are among the most utilized healthcare providers in the nation, according to a Jan. 18 news release from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
According to the data, CRNAs were among the top 20 specialists that served the most beneficiaries in non-telehealth care between March 2020 and June 2020, the release said. CMS also credited its action to waive the physician supervision requirement of CRNAs.
"Since the start of the pandemic, tens of thousands of CRNAs and student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) have cared for critically ill patients," AANA President Steven Sertich, CRNA, said in the release. "CRNAs and SRNAs unique skills and expertise have allowed them to step forward in ways that few others can, particularly in advanced airway and ventilation management, vascular volume resuscitation, and advanced patient assessment."