Countries where anesthesia is administered by nurses

Nurse anesthetists make significant contributions to healthcare worldwide. A little known fact is that, in many countries of the world, nearly all anesthesia is provided by nurses. This international survey, in five languages, was done to provide information about nurse anesthesia care delivered in countries in the regions of the world designated by the World Health Organization. Phase I, reported here, of a three-phase project, determined that nurses administer anesthesia in at least 107 of the world's nearly 200 countries. They administer anesthesia in developed, developing, and least developed countries, as well as in all regions of the world. A goal of disseminating data in this article is to further validate these 1992-1994 study findings. Readers are encouraged to contact the authors with follow-up information. Support for the study was provided by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists, and the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists.