The Washington State Nurse Anesthetist Workforce: a case study

The purposes of this study were to describe the Washington State Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) workforce and analyze selected dimensions of their clinical practice. We developed the 31-item CRNA Practice Questionnaire. After receiving institutional review board approval, the questionnaire was mailed in 2003 to CRNAs licensed in Washington with an address in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics for all variables and was performed by University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies staff. Results indicate that the typical Washington State CRNA is 50.7 years old, white, and equally likely to be a man or woman. More than half of the Washington State CRNAs are master's educated and have an average of 19 years of CRNA experience. Most work at least 40 hours a week, take call, and earn more than 100,000 dollars per year. Almost all have hospital privileges, but only 30% believe they are equal colleagues with physicians. A chi2 analysis comparing urban and rural respondents yielded few differences except that rural CRNAs reported seeking significantly less consultation and were more likely to take call. Workforce data may assist CRNAs when negotiating with employers and institutions and in resolving interprofessional conflicts and can have implications for scope of practice, policy, and legislative issues.