# Plain Language Summary of H. RES. 55

This is a resolution that officially recognizes and thanks Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)—nurses who specialize in administering anesthesia and managing pain during medical procedures. The resolution celebrates their work and contributions to American healthcare over the past 150 years. It's important to understand that this is not a law that changes anything or creates new rules; it's more like an official statement of appreciation from Congress.

The resolution highlights several key facts about CRNAs to explain why they deserve recognition. These nurses administer over 50 million anesthetics every year across the country. They work everywhere anesthesia is needed—in hospital operating rooms, dental offices, surgical centers, military hospitals, and Veterans Affairs facilities. Importantly, CRNAs are often the main anesthesia providers in rural areas where doctors may be scarce, which means they help keep smaller hospitals and clinics functioning and able to offer surgeries, emergency care, and childbirth services to people in underserved communities. The resolution also acknowledges that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many CRNAs traveled away from their families to help hospitals overwhelmed with severely ill patients, using their specialized skills to manage breathing tubes and ventilators.

The practical effect of this resolution is that Congress is officially encouraging hospitals, doctors, patients, and policymakers to recognize CRNAs' expertise and to use their skills more fully in healthcare settings. It's timed with National CRNA Week (January 23-28) as a way to raise public awareness about this profession. While this resolution doesn't create new laws or directly change how healthcare works, it sends a message that Congress values these healthcare workers and wants the public and medical community to appreciate their critical role in keeping Americans healthy.

Recognizing the roles and the contributions of Americas Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and their critical role in providing quality health care for the public and the Nation's Armed Forces for more than 150 years, through multiple public health emergencies, and beyond.

Schakowsky, Janice D.

 <p>This resolution recognizes the service of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and encourages participation in National CRNA Week.</p>