Ruling on Nurse Anesthetists Dividing Medical Community
Last month, a California Superior Court judge ruled that advance practice nurses can administer anesthesia without supervision from a physician. The decision has touched off debate over whether such action must be monitored by anesthesiologists or other physicians. Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) sought an exemption from a federal rule requiring the supervision, saying that letting the nurses work without supervision would lower costs and boost access to care.
- "Doctors Versus Nurses in Anesthesia 'Turf War'" (Kisken, Ventura County Star, 11/7).