PHOTO left to right: Michael Saucier, CRNA, Manager; Robert Gendreau, CRNA; Graham Williams, CRNA
Fort Kent ~ In recognition of their profession’s commitment to exceptional patient care, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in Fort Kent, and across the country, are celebrating the eighteenth annual National CRNA Week, January 22-28, 2017. Nurse anesthetists are advanced practice registered nurses who administer approximately forty three million anesthetics in the United States each year.
Established by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), National CRNA Week was created to encourage CRNAs to take the opportunity to educate the public about anesthesia safety, questions to ask prior to undergoing surgery, and the benefits of receiving anesthesia care from nurse anesthetists.
This year’s theme, Making a Difference, One Patient at a Time, reflects how CRNAs dedicate themselves to each of their patients before, during and after surgery. Founded in 1931, the AANA is the professional organization representing more than 50,000 CRNAs and student registered nurse anesthetists across the United States.
CRNA’s are an integral part of the surgical team and provide anesthesia in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other qualified healthcare professionals. Robert Gendreau who has been on the anesthesia staff at NMMC for ten years said, “One of the many rewards of being a nurse anesthetist is providing patients with the comfort of knowing that I will be by their side monitoring their vital signs and adjusting their anesthetics to manage their pain and provide a safe anesthesia experience.” Practicing in every setting where anesthesia is available, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia professionals in the vast majority of rural hospitals and have been the main provider of anesthesia care to U.S. service men and women on the front lines since World War I.
Every day, CRNAs deliver essential healthcare in thousands of communities and are able to prevent gaps in access to anesthesia services. “Our patients and their safe journey through surgery is our priority. We care for them at a very vulnerable time in their life, and it is an honor to provide safe, quality anesthesia for all of our patients, one at a time” said Michael Saucier, CRNA and Operating Room Manager. According to the Institute of Medicine, anesthesia care is nearly fifty times safer than it was in the early1980s. Saucier will be the guest speaker at the NMMC Guild meeting on February 15, 2017. The NMMC Guild welcomes guests to attend. To learn more, call Joanne Fortin at 207-834-1353.
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