Distribution of U.S. Military Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Medical Treatment Facilities

摘要

The purpose of this study was to describe the location and distribution of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) within the military, medical treatment facilities (MTFs), CRNA billets, and MTF characteristics. The three databases used for this analysis were the 1994 population distribution by county from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the U.S. Medicine 1997-1998 Directory of Federal Medical Treatment facilities, and the CRNA assignment lists provided by the military service CRNA assignment officers. The number of authorized military CRNA positions (or billets) in September 1997 was 578. As of September 1997, 549 of the billets (95 percent) authorized were filled by CRNAs, including 213 in the Army (89 percent staffing), 114 in the Navy (97 percent staffing), and 222 in the Air Force (100 percent staffing). This study describes where military CRNA's are assigned, and found no correlation between civilian population density and military CRNA density. Analysis of CRNA staffing and their location throughout the military found that the Air Force had the greatest number of small facilities and the lowest surgical bed to CRNA ratio compared to the Army and Navy. In contrast, nearly all of the Army facilities are large or medium and have lower surgical bed to CRNA ratio. This analysis model may be useful in assessing the anesthesia needs for the U. S. military worldwide.