An economic analysis of the investment in nurse anesthesia education

Increased public attention to the costs of healthcare in the United States has resulted in greater scrutiny of all aspects of the health industry, including the education of healthcare providers. Because Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists will, as in the past, have a major role in healthcare delivery systems of the future, knowledge of the educational costs and resulting benefits of this advanced practice nurse is important. This is the first comprehensive study of the economic investment in nurse anesthesia education. This study sought to determine the costs, benefits, and net benefits of nurse anesthesia education to four entities: (1) students, (2) clinical institutions, (3) academic institutions, and (4) others, primarily taxpayers. Considering these four entities together, the costs, benefits, and net benefits to society as a whole can be estimated. A prototypical nurse anesthesia educational program was developed, using the most common characteristics found among such programs in the United States. Data were then collected to estimate the costs and benefits to the four entities as they function within this prototypical program. The study concluded that all entities realize a net benefit from the investment by sponsorship or association with nurse anesthesia education, except the academic institution, which is a nonprofit institution and does not show a gain. Nurse anesthesia students show the highest internal rate of return on their investment, followed by others (primarily other taxpayers), and the clinical institution.