Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Celebrate 21st Annual National CRNA Week

PARIS, TNParis, TN – Administering anesthesia to Americans since the Civil War, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) from Henry County Medical Center are joining thousands of their colleagues from across the country to celebrate the 21st annual National CRNA Week January 19-25, 2020.

With a history spanning more than 150 years, CRNAs stay with their patients throughout their procedure, administering their anesthetics and monitoring their vital signs. Each year CRNAs ensure that millions of patients receive the safest anesthesia care possible.

“As CRNAs, we administer anesthesia to patients undergoing orthopedic, general surgery, urology, and labor and delivery procedures, just to name a few. Nurse anesthetists apply the same high standards of care, regardless of the type of procedure and the setting in which the anesthesia is delivered,” says Eva Hardin, MSN, CRNA.  “It is a privilege to be part of a profession that is so dedicated to advancing anesthesia patient safety and ensuring that patients have access to surgical, obstetrical, emergency, and pain management care, especially in rural and other medically underserved areas of our nation.”

The Department of Anesthesia at Henry County Medical Center is staffed by a team of highly trained nurse anesthetists who are frontrunners in cutting edge anesthesia care.  Through an innovative program that sharply decreases the use of opiates for surgical patients and utilizes advanced regional anesthesia, Henry County Medical Center is raising the bar when it comes to post-operative pain control.

“We are providing our community with the best possible anesthesia care by doing our part to control surgical pain and prevent exposure to opiates when they are not needed,” says Andrew Rice, MSN, CRNA, ACNP-BC.

CRNAs are advanced practice registered nurses who safely administer more than 49 million anesthetics in the United States each year. As the primary hands-on provider of anesthesia care in both civilian and military healthcare settings, CRNAs practice in every type of facility where anesthesia is required for patient care. That includes but is not limited to hospital operating and delivery rooms; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, and plastic surgeons; pain management centers; and all U.S. Military service branches, Public Health Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities. Along with providing anesthesia to our community, some CRNAs also enjoy taking medical mission trips to provide anesthesia to people in third world countries.

“I love our patient population. We take care of everyone in the county including children, laboring mothers, and nonagenarians. I enjoy talking to them and hearing their varied stories,” says Roxxy Quinn CRNA, MSN, APN. “It is a privilege to care for and learn from our patients. The array of anesthesia and perioperative services my colleagues and I provide for our small town is incredible. The surgical process is stressful enough without having to worry about being far from home. Having a full-service anesthesia group in Henry County is a blessing to the community.”

National CRNA Week was established by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) to encourage CRNAs to educate the public about anesthesia safety, questions to ask prior to undergoing surgery, and the benefits of receiving anesthesia care from a nurse anesthetist. To learn more about the AANA visit www.aana.com/ or www.future-of-anesthesia-care-today.com.

 

About Henry County Medical Center

Located in Paris, TN, Henry County Medical Center is a progressive, integrated healthcare organization committed to serving the healthcare needs of Henry County and the adjoining region.  Including a 142-bed hospital and other facilities, the medical center provides a variety of outpatient services, as well as inpatient care. Additionally, HCMC owns and operates 8 provider clinics in various specialties.  Henry County Medical Center is a county-owned and operated nonprofit institution. For more information: hcmc.vewebsites.com.