title: The practice and distribution of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in federally designated nurse shortage areas.
abstract: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) provide the majority of clinical anesthesia services to underserved populations in rural America. The United States Office of Shortage Designation, Bureau of Primary Health Care, has compiled a list of counties in the United States with a shortage of nurses. This study examines the distribution of CRNAs within these predominantly nonmetropolitan areas employing the Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Continuum classification system. Findings indicate a shortage of CRNAs in designated nurse shortage areas, and demographic characteristics of these practitioners hint at incentives and disincentives for nurse anesthesia clinical practice in rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Nurse Anesthesia Program, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fallacaro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D019035:Rural Health Services; D014481:United States; D019037:Urban Health Services