Legal aspects of nurse anesthesia practice

The legality of nurse anesthesiology practice has followed the history of the profession. Initial challenges to the legality of the practice were the primary legal focus, whereas current legality involves anti-trust, reimbursement, and vicarious liability issues. The profession has prevailed in the courts but continues to be the subject of legal debate. This article reviews the legal history of the profession and uses case law to validate the various legal challenges in the areas of malpractice, licensure law, and practice issues.