The Arkansas House rejected a bill April 2 that would have expanded the scope of practice for certified registered nurse anesthetists, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports.
What you should know:
1. The bill narrowly failed to pass the House. If it had advanced, CRNAs could have been permitted to work "in coordination with" physicians and other providers authorized to order anesthesia, rather than under their supervision.
2. Supporters of the bill said it would make sense for hospitals without employed anesthesiologists — where surgeons order anesthesia but don't supervise its administration — and alleviate surgeons' concerns that they could be liable for any mistakes made by CRNAs.
3. Anesthesiologists and other physicians who opposed the bill said the absence of a definition for "in coordination with" would create confusion.
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