Anesthesia PA's

[jesse0081]

Just curious if anyone has any info on anesthesia PA's. I'm not talking about anesthesia assistants, either. I know it's not a common practice for PA's at present, but do you think it will eventually pick up? I had read an article online on a survey that was done, and only 5 PA's out of 1800 selected anesthesia as their practice. I'm am interested in anesthesia, but because there are only a few anesthesia assistant schools, AA is not really an option. I can't consider a CRNA because I'm not a nurse. I am a respiratory therapist, and I'm in the philadelphia area. Do you think there is a future for PA's in anesthesia?

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[Beau Geste]

Just curious if anyone has any info on anesthesia PA's. I'm not talking about anesthesia assistants, either. I know it's not a common practice for PA's at present, but do you think it will eventually pick up? I had read an article online on a survey that was done, and only 5 PA's out of 1800 selected anesthesia as their practice. I'm am interested in anesthesia, but because there are only a few anesthesia assistant schools, AA is not really an option. I can't consider a CRNA because I'm not a nurse. I am a respiratory therapist, and I'm in the philadelphia area. Do you think there is a future for PA's in anesthesia?

I believe this topic was addressed in a recent anesthesia assistant thread. I believe that PAs are not allowed by state law to perform anesthesia techniques without having a state endorsement (license) in providing anesthesia. The only way for a PA to be an anesthetist is to attend CRNA or AA school, unless they are grandfathered in thier state. I could be wrong, since I haven't checked all states' professional regulation sites, so if anyone disagrees, they could provide proof with a state's endorsement scope of practice for PAs.

 

[2ndyear]

I have seen an anesthesia PA. It was a mid-sized group (20 MD's, about 15 CRNA's). The PA didn't give any anesthesia, in fact didn't even go into the OR. She did pre-ops in the holding area, orders in the PACU, put out fires in the PACU, pre-ops on the floor, post-ops on the floor, pain stuff on the floor. You get the picture. All of the 'stuff' that frees up the anesthesia providers to be faster where it counts- in the OR.

 

[Beau Geste]

No offense, but that sounds rather misleading. That sounds more like a surgical PA because a surgical PA can assist a surgeon, whereas PAs are not allowed to do anesthesia without proper credentials.