Last night I attended an educational program. During dinner conversation, the topic of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) came up. It’s a hot topic of debate where I work. A non-nursing hospital professional remarked that they “hated seeing the physician anesthesiologist’s role reduced to a technician level.” Ouch. Although I am not a CRNA, I had to speak up. Nurse Anesthetists are BSN trained Registered Nurses, with a minimum of one year acute care hospital experience, and pass certification after completing a graduate program in nursing. I stayed out of the debate, but it is important for people to understand the professional identity of the CRNA. The person who made the remark sincerely thanked me for the education.