National Nurse Anesthetist Week kicks off Jan. 23

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eydie Sakura
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  Whether administering epidurals for women in labor, giving patients minor sedation in the emergency room, or watching over their patients in the operating room, certified registered nurse anesthetists have been working with surgeons, dentists and podiatrists for nearly 150 years to deliver safe anesthesia care.

National Nurse Anesthetist Week kicks off Jan. 23 and goes through Jan. 29. The week honors the nurses and educates people on the importance of their work.

“Most people don’t understand what a nurse anesthetist does, and they think we just put people to sleep for surgery,” said Lt. Col. Mike Bagwell, 52nd Medical Operations Squadron surgical services flight commander. “We actually do thorough pre- and post-surgery assessments of each patient because we are responsible for that patient while (he or she is) in the operating and recovery rooms.”

This type of care ensures the patients have been properly prepared for surgery from a medical standpoint, as well as an emotional standpoint.

“Sometimes we have patients who are very frightened of their surgery, and we try to help them relax,” Colonel Bagwell said. “We all understand that surgery is not something most people look forward to, so we try and make it as pleasant as possible. Relaxing patients can be as simple as talking with them or making a few jokes.”

Having a good bedside manner goes hand in hand with the educational and training aspects of the job.

“There are approximately 90 accredited graduate programs offering a master’s degree in anesthesia to nurses, and admission requires a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a registered nursing license and a minimum of one year of acute-care nursing experience,” said Maj. Susan Perry, 52nd MDOS anesthesia element chief. “The curriculum covers advanced anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, biochemistry, physics, advanced pharmacology and principles of anesthesia practice.”

Nursing qualifications have changed steadily over the past century. The years of education and training perpetuate its long history.

Nurses have always been the backbone of anesthesia providers, and first provided anesthesia to wounded Soldiers during the Civil War, Colonel Bagwell said.

Supporting contingency efforts today can be just as grueling work. When nurse anesthetists deploy, they are positioned in high chemical or biological threat areas; no longer are they deployed to the rear. Now they are much closer to the front where the fighting is.

“In the deployed operating room, we’ll see patients who will die very rapidly if we aren’t on top of our game. We must be mentally toughened and ready to face the demands of working with complex trauma patients for 16 to 30 hours straight,” the colonel said. “These patients are (servicemembers) who go out and lay their lives on the line, so I don’t think it’s too much to give our all with our efforts.”

Giving 100 percent is all in a day’s work, officials said.

“We have a superb group of anesthesia providers here because they provide quality care that is as good, or better, than any civilian or military hospital that I have worked at,” said Maj. (Dr.) James Froelich, a 52nd MDOS general surgeon. “Nurse anesthetists are invaluable to the world of surgery, and they perform the same function as an anesthesiologist during routine operations.” (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)