• As people celebrate the contribution of all veterans to our nation’s safety, FANA is highlighting veterans whose selfless service continued as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in Florida

• FANA spotlighted a few stories from veterans in Florida who used their experience as sole practitioners in the service to play critical medical roles in communities around the state

Ahead of Veterans Day, the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (FANA) is recognizing Florida military veterans who continue their service as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in the Sunshine State. 

In a Thursday news release, FANA saluted the military veterans who chose to continue their specialized skill. More than 5,400 CRNAs work in all practice settings in Florida including hospitals, health care facilities, and surgical centers.

“It takes special Americans to serve in our nation’s military; people willing to serve in critical roles – often in stressful life-or-death situations that provide safety and security,” said FANA President Michelle Canale, DNP, CRNA, APRN, FAANA.

FANA noted that for many veterans, CRNA was a natural progression of front-line service after leaving the military.

“I had an opportunity to shadow a CRNA at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,” said Paul J. Safara, MSNA, CRNA, of Tampa. “I was hooked from that day forward. I admired the level of skill, the level of responsibility, the level of independence, and the reward of caring for these sick surgical patients in their time of need.”

CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered. They are also primary providers of anesthesia care in rural and medically underserved areas, and on the battlefield in surgical teams, military ships and forward-operating bases.

“That passion fuels all of our CRNAs who are dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of Floridians, “said Canale who is also the Director of the Nurse Anesthesiology Program at the University of South Florida.

As expert clinicians with specialized skills in advanced airway and ventilator management, advanced hemodynamic monitoring, and advanced patient assessment, CRNAs have expanded the nation’s critical care workforce, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.