The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) commends Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers for his leadership and dedication to patient safety demonstrated by his veto of Senate Bill 394 (SB 394), a measure that would have significantly eliminated requirements for physician collaboration with all advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse anesthetists.
“This bill would have confused the roles of physicians and nurses and actively dismantled the care team model that makes Wisconsin a leader in patient care by allowing nurse anesthetists with far less education and training than physicians to provide anesthesia care and pain management without physician oversight,” said ASA President Randall M. Clark, M.D., FASA.
After careful consideration and recognizing the important role nurses play in Wisconsin’s health care system, Gov. Evers vetoed the measure because he opposes “altering current licensure standards for APRNs, allowing practices functionally equivalent to those of physicians or potentially omitting physicians from a patient’s care altogether notwithstanding significant differences in required education, training, and experience.” His full message can be found here.
The Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists (WSA) along with other medical professionals in the state voiced their strong concerns about SB 394 with lawmakers and Gov. Evers throughout the legislative process, emphasizing that patients deserve to have physicians involved in their healthcare.
