What role should education standards play in the manpower shortage?

Any assertions that COA did not respond to concerns raised is not an accurate portrayal of the process and does not acknowledge the significant work the COA and the AANA Education Committee did to write standards that are relevant for nurse anesthesia education today. The COA asserts that information taken from the final draft of the standards presented in 2000 based on "a nonscientific online poll" does more to damage the credibility of COA, AANA, and the profession than it does to establish constructive dialogue. Reporting only a portion of the process used to revise the standards is inaccurate at best. This lack of scientific rigor, as appropriately acknowledged in the "Guest Editorial," offers many problems in subsequent assertions made by the authors. The COA will proceed with the established process for a major revision of the educational standards as last published. The evaluation period for COA Trial Standards continues through November 15, 2003, and COA looks forward to continued, constructive dialogue with the community of interest.