As shortages among the anesthesia workforce continue to loom, two universities recently launched new training programs to combat a potential shortfall of CRNAs:
1. The University of Illinois Chicago plans to launch a nurse anesthesia program with the help of a $10 million donation. The new program is expected to begin its accreditation process in June. Jobs in the anesthesia field are projected to grow 18% in the next decade. Among Illinois' 102 counties, 31 lack registered anesthesia providers, according to research from UIC.
2. Meridian-based Idaho State University School of Nursing will begin offering the first nurse anesthesia degree program in Idaho. The first cohort will begin in the fall of 2025 at ISU's Meridian campus. The program could help to address workforce shortages in the state, as a majority of students stay in the state where they train to practice medicine.