Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs adopts standards for the Practice Doctorate and Post-graduate CRNA Fellowships.

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs appointed a Standards Revision Task Force to develop new accreditation standards. After 3 years of research and development (2011-2013) by the task force, the Council approved the first entry-level Practice Doctorate Standards and the first voluntary Post-graduate CRNA Fellowship Standards in January 2014. This defining moment in accreditation history marks a transition in the educational preparation of entry-level nurse anesthetists and provides opportunities for learning in a variety of post-graduate fellowships for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

The perceived influence of financial risk factors on the viability of nurse anesthesia educational programs.

Monetary cutbacks have occurred in the healthcare industry with increasing incidence since the mid-1980s. Attempts at self-preservation through cost-constraint have been instituted by hospitals, Medicare and Medicaid, and private insurance companies. Curtailment of expenditures, as well as reestablishing profit, has taken many forms. These include managed care, mergers, changing profit status, and aggressive competition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether directors of nurse anesthesia programs (NAPs) perceived these items as being detrimental to their NAPs. Data were gathered by descriptive survey design by completing a survey tool. Findings identified directors perceived NAPs at moderate to high risk for closure because of the financial constraints hospitals are experiencing as a result of healthcare reimbursement cutbacks. We found it interesting that many directors were either unaware or considered the hospitals' financial burdens as not impacting their NAP. However, directors who had taken courses or seminars with a focus on issues affecting the financing and reimbursement of healthcare institutions perceived significantly greater risk than those who did not. Potential learning opportunities and strategies to ameliorate risk were identified. Additional education may provide the knowledge and insight to find alternatives to risk, develop strategies, and promote more successful and stable nurse anesthesia educational programs.