LETTERS: NURESE ANESTHETISTS: 100 YEAR HISTORY

To the editor:

This letter is in response to Dr. Stephen W. Stigers March 21 letter. Nurse anesthetists have been safely administering anesthesia for more than 100 years. As anesthesia specialists, nurse anesthetists take care of patients before, during and after surgical or obstectrical procedures. The nurse anesthetist stays with you for the entire procedure, watching, listening and monitoring every important function and ensuring maximum comfort and safety. Nurse anesthetists give 65 percent of the 2 million anestheticts in this country annually. Also, nurse anesthetists provide the sole anesthesia in 70 percent of rural hospitals in the United States. We are also qualified and permitted by state law to practice in every state of the nation. I say we because I am a nurse anesthetist trained to be clinician, educator, administrator, manager and researcher. I, like my other 27,000 colleages, provide cost-effective, quality patient care that is essential to America's health care system. So rest assured seniors, nurse anesthetist will continue to provide the highest level of care. CHRISTOPHER G. HUCKSTEP, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Cape Girardeau