Nellis celebrates National Nurse Anesthetists Week Published Jan. 18, 2012 By Heather Suescun 99th Medical Group NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Nurse anesthetists at the Mike O'Callaghan Federal Medical Center on Nellis Air Force Base are proud to provide care to active duty military, dependants, retirees and veterans. These advanced practice nurses are active duty officers, federal contractors or veterans' administration employees, and together they provide 24-hour services to the medical center, including serving in operating rooms and obstetrics. As the U.S. celebrates National Nurse Anesthetist Week from Jan. 22-28, 2012, it is important to take time to reflect on this nearly 150-year-old profession. Nursing anesthesia originated in the years following the Civil War, during which nurses were responsible for administering anesthesia care to soldiers wounded on the battlefield. Today, military nurse anesthetists continue to be the principal providers of anesthesia care for our military forces involved in wartime efforts. During deployment, nurse anesthetists function on forward surgical teams, providing solo anesthesia care for surgical interventions to rapidly stabilize critically wounded soldiers on the battlefield. On a grander scale, they are members of combat support hospital anesthesia teams. These are large, fully-operational facilities similar to civilian trauma centers. Currently, two nurse anesthetists from the 99th Medical Group at Nellis, Maj. Scott Poynter and Maj. Martha Paul, are deployed to Afghanistan. Nurse anesthetists administer approximately 32 million anesthetics each year while working in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists and other health care professionals. In order to enter the profession, nurse anesthetists meet the following rigorous educational and experiential requirements: - Bachelor of Science degree in nursing - At least one year of experience as a registered nurse in an acute care setting - Graduation with a minimum of a Master's degree from an accredited nurse anesthesia educational program - Successful completion of a national certification exam after graduation - Recertification every two years, which requires proof of 40 hours of continuing education and a minimum of 850 hours of substantial engagement in the practice of nurse anesthesia The Mike O'Callaghan Federal Medical Center is home to a Phase II Clinical Site that is part of the Uniformed Health Services University of Bethesda, Maryland accredited nurse anesthetist program. Each year, designated Air Force students spend 18 months here receiving clinical training in a residency format. The two current graduates of this program, Capt. Julio Cano and Maj. Richard Anshutz, are new members of the 99th Medical Group's anesthesia department.
