Representatives call for CRNA full practice in VHA facilities

In an Oct. 25 bipartisan letter, Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., and 12 congressional colleagues urged Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough to grant full practice authority permanently to certified registered nurse anesthetists across Veterans Health Administration facilities. A national review of staffing shortages for fiscal year 2021 found anesthesiology shortages at VHA facilities in 17 states. “These anesthesiology workforce shortages have real consequences for our veterans, limiting access to high-quality care at a time when demand is growing for surgical procedures due to an aging veteran population,” the letter stated. A 2016 rule granted full practice authority to other advanced practice RNs across the VA but not CRNAs because access problems did not exist at the time. (Underwood letter, 10/25/22)