Washington, DC has opted out of the federal physician supervision requirement for certified registered nurse anesthetists , becoming the 28th US jurisdiction to do so.
Mayor Muriel Bowser approved the opt-out under the Health Occupations Revision General Amendment Act of 2024, clearing the way for the DC Board of Medicine and DC Board of Nursing to implement the change. CRNAs practicing in the District can now administer anesthesia in hospital settings without physician supervision.
“Opting out of the federal physician supervision requirement for CRNAs is in the best interest of District residents,” Ms. Bowser said.
The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and the DC Association of Nurse Anesthetists backed the change. AANA President Tracy Young, MSNA, MBA, CRNA, said removing the requirement gives healthcare facilities greater flexibility to use anesthesia care models. DCANA President Douglas Heater, CRNA, said CRNAs are qualified to make decisions on all aspects of anesthesia care without physician supervision.
AANA, headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., represents more than 71,000 members, including nearly 69,000 CRNAs, who together administer more than 58 million anesthetics annually in the U.S. Twenty-seven states previously held opt-out status before Washington, DC became the 28th jurisdiction to remove the federal supervision mandate.
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