ASA is opening up membership to nurses

[OptionOffense]

Nurse Anesthetists

www.asahq.org

Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? Why appease or help further CRNA practice when their organization is ACTIVELY against physicians and wants us extinct? Their president a few years ago publicly denigrated all physicians as useless.. I say this is a short sighted idea but i understand why they are doing it..... $$$$ like anything else that will go to $hit. Play the long game and advocate for CAAs and open your membership to them. Seems like there is more growth in that sector. BUt again politically im sure someone (big pharma, PE) is pulling their strings.

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[Dr. Rude]

Nurse Anesthetists

www.asahq.org

Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? Why appease or help further CRNA practice when their organization is ACTIVELY against physicians and wants us extinct? Their president a few years ago publicly denigrated all physicians as useless.. I say this is a short sighted idea but i understand why they are doing it..... $$$$ like anything else that will go to $hit. Play the long game and advocate for CAAs and open your membership to them. Seems like there is more growth in that sector. BUt again politically im sure someone (big pharma, PE) is pulling their strings.

They have had some type of affiliate membership open in the past. One year they published the number of CRNAs who actually joined. It was fewer than ten.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I think they are trying to pull members away from the AANA to reduce their influence. Stupid move though, makes us look like ****s.

 

[jwk]

They have had some type of affiliate membership open in the past. One year they published the number of CRNAs who actually joined. It was fewer than ten.

You're right - this was years ago, and as I recall, was dropped for lack of interest on the part of CRNAs. My guess is this will have a similar fate.

 

[chocomorsel]

You're right - this was years ago, and as I recall, was dropped for lack of interest on the part of CRNAs. My guess is this will have a similar fate.

Question is, why even try? Why does our organization feel the need to kiss their ass or be nice to them? This place is ridiculous. They have theirs and we have ours.

 

[james775]

I feel like ASA constantly has bad ideas.

Pretty sure they were the ones who pushed for the term “physician anesthesiologist” first of all it was redundant. It was also incredibly short sighted. Everyone could have seen the next step was crnas calling themselves nurse anesthesiologists

 

[Dr. Rude]

Question is, why even try? Why does our organization feel the need to kiss their ass or be nice to them? This place is ridiculous. They have theirs and we have ours.

What could it hurt? Offering an affiliate membership is not “kissing ass”. Trying to test the waters to see if their membership is willing to distance itself from the scum that are their leadership? Extending an olive branch even? Trying to demonstrate to the ASA membership base that the CRNAs that you work with side by side every day are not your friends? Even if ASA leadership are too cowardly to stand up and say what needs to be said because it will harm them personally.

 

[coffeebythelake]

Question is, why even try? Why does our organization feel the need to kiss their ass or be nice to them? This place is ridiculous. They have theirs and we have ours.

because lots of anesthesiologists out there in private practice land make their bucks on the backs of nurses.

 

[OptionOffense]

because lots of anesthesiologists out there in private practice land make their bucks on the backs of nurses.

YOu make it sound like a sinister,nefarious thing. SO every physician who rounds in the hospital makes their money on the backs of nurses? They get paid WELL i might add

 

[zizzer]

because lots of anesthesiologists out there in private practice land make their bucks on the backs of nurses.

In my experience, all private practice groups I know are physician only. I've only known CRNAs to work prevalently at academic centers. I know it varies, but you make it sound like CRNAs only work in private practice, when I saw them sitting heart cases and everything else in my residency program.

 

[Urzuz]

In my experience, all private practice groups I know are physician only.

You must not know many private practices

 

[nimbus]

You must not know many private practices

It’s very region dependent. Very few ACT private practices in the West coast/western states. In California, the vast majority of CRNAs work at Kaiser, academics, and the VA. Most private practices are MD only.

 

[nimbus]

because lots of anesthesiologists out there in private practice land make their bucks on the backs of nurses.

Yes. A lot of ASA members and ASA leadership work within the ACT model, both in academics and in PP. They must play nice with CRNAs because you cannot alienate your coworkers.

 

[Dr. Rude]

Yes. A lot of ASA members and ASA leadership work within the ACT model, both in academics and in PP. They must play nice with CRNAs because you cannot alienate your coworkers.

Simple: If you are not willing to be aggressive on the CRNA issue, don’t take a senior leadership role in ASA. You are acting in your own best interest instead of the best interest of the profession.

 

[chocomorsel]

You must not know many private practices

Or lives out West or Indiana or places that are Physician only anesthesia.

 

[nimbus]

Simple: If you are not willing to be aggressive on the CRNA issue, don’t take a senior leadership role in ASA. You are acting in your own best interest instead of the best interest of the profession.

Many times, people accept the burden and hassle of a leadership role to advance their own interests. Sometimes it aligns with the interests of the entire profession and sometimes it does not.

 

[IMGASMD]

Many times, people accept the burden and hassle of a leadership role to advance their own interests. Sometimes it aligns with the interests of the entire profession and sometimes it does not.

If your interest is making more money…..

 

[OptionOffense]

Simple: If you are not willing to be aggressive on the CRNA issue, don’t take a senior leadership role in ASA. You are acting in your own best interest instead of the best interest of the profession.

100 percent. The people in leadership in the ASA should be doing their own cases. EIther that let the suits of the ASA deal with the issue. You gotta play hard ball otherwise this thing (which is threatening the future of the specialty) will get worse. I have personally let this be known to the officers of the ASA via email and I suggest other people do the same. As for me, I have about 10 years or less left to practice and I am very concerned about the future of this specialty. If i had more I would be extremely concerned.