Agatha Hodgins: Nurse Anesthetist Pioneer

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in the early years, until the use of certified specialty nurse anesthetists, many patients died or had severe complications during and after surgery because the person administering the anesthesia had little training and the physician had to divide his attention between the anesthesia and the actual surgery. The author points out that Agatha Hodgins did much more than teach nurses how to administer anesthesia under combat conditions because she also looked to the future of the profession and where it could go. The paper relates that, in 1939, Agatha Hodgins established the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, which lead to the first national certification exam in 1945 and continues today as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), professional licensed nurses who have extensive training in nurse anesthesia required after obtaining a Registered Nurse (RN) degree.

From the Paper:

"During World War I, Agatha Hodgins served in France from 1914 to 1915. It was during this time that she helped train physicians and nurses from France and England in the administration of anesthesia. At this time the United States had not yet entered the war. Thank to the efforts of Agatha Hodgins and those she trained, nurse anesthetists have been the primary anesthesia administrators in combat areas. This has been the case in every war the United States has fought since World War I."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Schrefer, S. (Ed.). (2000). Nursing Reflections: A Century of Caring. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
• Evans, T. CRNA, MS What is a CRNA? (1998) http://www.anesthesia-nursing.org/wina.html
• Postotnik, P. (1984, June). Anesthesia: A Long Way from Biting Bullets. FDA Consumer, 18, 24+.
• American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (2006) History of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Retrieved November 30, 2006 from http://www.aana.com/aboutaana.asp

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