Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Strategic Planning for Rebranding and Policy Development

Abstract

Problem: In 2021, a national association of Nurse Anesthetists announced a professional name change to Nurse Anesthesiology and the descriptor Nurse Anesthesiologist. It is the interest of a Mid-Atlantic state Nurse Anesthetist association to examine if state level legislative changes should be pursued to adopt the name change. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to conduct a comprehensive impact assessment utilizing a standardized analytical tool to generate recommendations to a Mid- Atlantic state Nurse Anesthetist association regarding the decision to pursue the adoption of a name change. Methods: Interviews were conducted over a 15-week period utilizing a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) analysis tool with members of a Mid-Atlantic state medical society and state association for anesthesiologists. Data was collected via in-person, phone, and virtual interviews and was stored in REDCAP, a private and secure data collection website. Results: A total of 6 SWOT interviews were completed out of the 20 attempted. The strengths identified were that the current name provides a clear description of the person providing care. Weaknesses are a lack of public familiarity with the title “anesthetist”. Opportunities recognized were the potential for Nurse Anesthetist professional empowerment. Threats included cost and the perceived intent to mislead the public. Conclusion: Overall findings suggest that the members interviewed do not support a name change in the state. All participants reported being very unlikely to advocate for legislative changes if pursued by the Mid-Atlantic state association