The National Commission on Nurse Anesthesia Education 10 years later--Part 2: Years following the commission (1994 to...

In 1989, the National Commission on Nurse Anesthesia Education was implemented to reverse a severe shortage of CRNAs. The Commission, charged with scrutinizing all aspects of nurse anesthesia educational programs, developed 8 goals with corresponding strategies that were used by the Commission Implementation Task Force to actualize its charge. These goals and strategies contributed to an increase of annual graduates from nurse anesthesia programs and the development of 10 new programs. These activities were documented in Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the October 2001 AANA Journal. Following completion of the 3-year project, the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) and the AANA Education Committee began carrying out the final recommendations made by the Commission. Part 2 addresses the accomplishments of the Education Committee and COA in implementing the recommendations of the Commission, discusses current status of educational programs and CRNA manpower, and identifies roles for both educators and practitioners in protecting the future of the profession.