Tri-Council, NCC ask VA to support CRNA full practice authority

In a May 13 letter to the White House, AONL and other members of the Tri-Council for Nursing wrote to express support for Veterans Administration (VA) efforts to encourage facilities to grant full practice authority to certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. By implementing the principles outlined in Veterans Health Administration Directive 1899, which memorializes the agency’s long-standing practice of allowing VA health professionals to provide services within the full scope of their license, registration or certification, “the VA can follow the lead of many states, and other areas within the federal government, that have granted full practice authority to CRNAs during the COVID-19 emergency,” the letter stated. The signatories added they would like to see full practice authority made permanent for these providers. The Nursing Community Coalition (NCC), to which AONL also belongs, sent a letter to the White House this week in support of removing practice barriers for CRNAs.