Chief Nurse Anesthetist Laura Ardizzone describes the responsibilities and expertise of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists – CRNAs – in caring for patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering. As advanced-practice nurses with specialized critical care training and master’s degrees in nurse anesthesia, our 60 CRNAs reinforce and support the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine in numerous ways. As vital members of anesthesia and peri-operative teams they work alongside attending anesthesiologists to provide the highest-quality care to our patients, and have been valued as well as committed members of the institution for more than half a century. The department also serves as a clinical training site for the Nurse Anesthesia Program of the Columbia University School of Nursing. The ranks of CRNAs at Memorial Sloan Kettering are expected to grow as we continue to develop our new surgical center and expand the use of CRNAs at regional care network sites. By the year 2025, all CRNAs will be required to have a doctoral degree for entry into practice.
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