UPMC Nurse Anesthetists Celebrate 2019 National CRNA Week

January 20-26, 2019 marks the 20th annual National CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) Week. Established by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), National CRNA Week is the AANA’s annual celebration of anesthesia patient safety and the nation’s nearly 53,000 CRNAs and student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) who safely and cost-effectively provide more than 45 million anesthetics each year. The event helps patients, hospital administrators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and others become more familiar with the CRNA credential and the exceptional advanced practice registered nurses who have earned it.

Our SRNAs and CRNAs staffed tables throughout the various UPMC hospitals to educate visitors about their profession. As in prior years, the event is being celebrated by CRNAs giving back to the community and both CRNAs and physician anesthesiologists at various sites hosting activities to show appreciation for their colleagues:

• Our Shadyside CRNAs are volunteering to host a dinner at Family House, located across the street from the hospital. Family House provides patients and their families with housing for extended out of town stays during care. They are making all the food and serving the families while answering questions about CRNAs and their role at UPMC Shadyside. Additionally, they are hosting a happy hour/dinner to celebrate CRNA week at Roc

  

  k Bottom Brewery.
• On Friday, January 25th, the UPMC Presbyterian CRNAs sponsored their 7th Annual "Donut Day"/Peer Appreciation Reception for the entire Surgical Services Division and all staff in the Gastrointestinal, Radiology, Cardiac Catheterization, Psychiatric, Electrophysiology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Gamma Knife, Environmental Services, Interventional Radiology, and Bronchoscopy Labs.
• At UPMC Mercy, the anesthesiologists provided a luncheon for the CRNAs and the CRNAs are planning a luncheon for the anesthesiologists next week to celebrate National Physician Anesthesiologists week. The Mercy CRNAs also plan to "give back" again this year by donating to FOCUS Pittsburgh, a local organization that provides less fortunate children with lunch for each school day.
• The CRNAs at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) cooked a Mexican dinner for the

  

  patients and families staying at Ronald McDonald house, which is attached to CHP and provides housing to patients and families who require frequent and/or chronic care. Next week, they will provide a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches, homemade tomato soup, and dessert to the CHP anesthesiologists, fellows, and residents. The CHP physician anesthesiologists showed their appreciation for the CHP CRNAs this week with gift cards and a cake.
• Presby CRNAs Holly Broadbent-Horvat and Karen Florian visited Pine Richland High School to discuss the history of nurse anesthesia, what CRNA do, and how to become a CRNA. They also gave the students a crash course on “Stop the Bleed.”  Students were given the opportunity to mask ventilate, intubate, and use a tourniquet and compression the stop the bleed on a mannequin. Opportunities to shadow were discussed and several students expressed interest.

This is just a small sample of the many community service projects and appreciation efforts our CRNAs conduct throughout the year, as well as during many prior National CRNA Weeks. Check out more photos in our online photo album of CRNA week activities, which will we will continue to update as photos are shared!

Please check back here also, as we will continue to update this story.