American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Encyclopedia
The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is the professional association of nurse anesthetist
Nurse anesthetist
A nurse anesthetist is a nurse who specializes in the administration of anesthesia.In the United States, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is an advanced practice registered nurse who has acquired graduate-level education and board certification in anesthesia...

s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The organization states that it has a membership of 39,000, includes certified (CRNA), recertified, and student members. The organization represents around 90 percent of nurse anesthetists in the United States. Approximately 41% of the CRNAs are men, versus approximately 10% in the nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....

 profession as a whole. The AANA headquarters is currently located in Park Ridge, Illinois
Park Ridge, Illinois
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...

, a suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

.

The AANA held its first meeting on June 17, 1931. Agatha Hodgins organized the event, inviting members from the Alumnae Association of the Lakeside Hospital School of Anesthesia and other nurse anesthetists from across the United States. As a new organization, it had two main objectives: establish a national qualifying exam, and establish an accreditation program for nurse anesthesia schools. The first national certification exam was held on June 4, 1945, with 92 candidates sitting for the exam.

The AANA has accredited
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...

 nurse anesthesia programs since January 19, 1952. The organization was recognized as an accrediting body
Higher education accreditation in the United States
Higher education accreditation in the United States has long been established as a peer review process coordinated by accreditation commissions and member institutions. The federal government began to play a limited role in Higher education accreditation in 1952 with reauthorization of the GI Bill...

 by the U.S. Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...

in 1955.
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