The American Medical Association has voiced its “strong opposition” to a proposal by the District of Columbia Department of Health that would allow nurse anesthetists to refer to themselves as “nurse anesthesiologists.” The proposed rule would apply to certified registered nurse anesthetists, who, under the laws of the District of Columbia and many states are able to administer anesthesia to patients, though generally either in collaboration with or under the supervision of a physician.

The AMA's opposition to the proposed rule change highlights the importance of paying close attention to how your state allows you to describe yourself if you are an advanced care nurse. Using terminology reserved for physicians, for example, to describe your qualifications could lead to a disciplinary proceeding by your Board of Nursing or equivalent regulatory body. If you are a nurse who has been notified that you are under investigation for alleged misconduct, the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help. Call us at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.

The District of Columbia's Proposed Rule

The DC Department of Health's proposed rule change would allow a nurse holding a CRNA license valid in the District of Columbia to refer to themselves as a “Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist,” “nurse anesthetist,” or “nurse anesthesiologist.” It is this last title – nurse anesthesiologist – that the American Medical Association takes issue with.

In its letter to the District of Columbia Department of Health about the proposed change (as well as in an article published on its website), the AMA makes several points.

First, the AMA argues that DC law currently only allows those “authorized to practice medicine” (in other words, licensed physicians) to use the term “anesthesiologist.” Adding the term “nurse anesthesiologist” as the proposed rule change would do would arguably conflict with that existing DC law.

Second, the AMA argues that allowing nurses to use the term anesthesiologist would be “misleading and confusing to patients” because “Anesthesiology is a physician specialty, and the title ‘anesthesiologist' has always been used solely by physicians.” In addition, nurses are already using terms like “nurse anesthetist,” “certified registered nurse anesthetist,” and “CRNA” to describe their practice specialty. According to the AMA's own “recent study,” 70 percent of patients said that an “anesthesiologist” was a physician and a “nurse anesthetist” was not a physician. (Though the letter failed to acknowledge the obvious fact that the use of the term “nurse anesthetist” signaled that the practitioner is a nurse.)

The AMA went on to point out the “stark difference” between the training that physician anesthesiologists receive compared to the training certified nurse anesthetists receive, with physicians overall completing significantly more education and clinical training than registered nurse anesthetists. The letter closed by calling the DC proposal “a solution to a non-problem” that would risk “muddying the health care waters unnecessarily.”

Take Care With Your Job Title

No matter what side you are on in the debate about what CRNAs should be allowed to refer to themselves as one important thing to remember is that states (and the District of Columbia) regulate what nurses are able to call themselves based on the type of license or certification that they hold. It's important to pay close attention to what the requirements are in your particular location, and even more so if you are licensed to practice a specialty in more than one state. Different states may have different requirements for your specialty, and you could inadvertently be in violation of one state's nursing practice regulations by describing your specialty in a way that is not allowed by that state, even if it is allowed by another state where you're licensed.

The Lento Law Firm Can Help With Nursing Disciplinary Matters

If you've been notified that you're being investigated by the Board of Nursing for alleged misconduct – whether it relates to the title you use to describe yourself or any other type of alleged misconduct – the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help. We represent nurses and other professionals in disciplinary matters all across the US, and we will help you understand the allegations made against you and will protect your rights during any investigation and disciplinary proceeding that may follow.

Our experienced professional licensed defense attorneys understand the rules and regulations that apply to nurses and the procedures that nursing boards and other regulatory bodies use to investigate and discipline nurses. We will be there to defend you from start to finish, with our goal being to protect what may be your most important asset – your professional license.

To learn more about how the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help if you're facing a disciplinary investigation or proceeding, call us at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.