🩺 Why Tennessee Must Reject HB758 & SB461

Protecting Patient Safety and Upholding Standards of Care

As a nurse, a patient advocate, and a Tennessean who deeply values quality healthcare, I feel compelled to speak out against two deeply concerning bills advancing through our state legislature: HB758 and SB461. These bills aim to authorize Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs) to practice in Tennessee—despite glaring issues related to training, oversight, access, and safety.

While we respect the role AAs serve in specific clinical settings, they do not have the same level of education, clinical training, or autonomy as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)—who have safely and independently delivered anesthesia care to Tennesseans for decades.

This legislation will not improve patient outcomes or address the healthcare workforce shortage. In fact, it may create more fragmentation in care while increasing healthcare costs and regulatory complexity—especially in rural and underserved areas where CRNAs are already meeting critical needs.

Tennesseans deserve high-quality, evidence-based care provided by highly trained professionals. Let’s protect patient safety and preserve the integrity of our healthcare system.

Let’s break this down clearly.

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🔍 Who Are AAs—And How Are They Different from CRNAs?

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs) are not interchangeable. While both are involved in anesthesia delivery, their training, scope of practice, and ability to function independently differ dramatically.

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🚨 What’s Wrong With HB758 & SB461?

1. AAs Are Not Needed in Tennessee

Tennessee already has a robust, highly trained anesthesia workforce: CRNAs. These skilled professionals provide safe, cost-effective anesthesia services in all settings—from large hospitals to rural surgery centers. There's no demonstrated shortage of providers that requires introducing an entirely new category of clinician.

2. AAs Require Constant Supervision

Unlike CRNAs, who can work autonomously, AAs must operate under the direct supervision of an anesthesiologist. That means they are not a solution for rural areas where physician anesthesiologists are often unavailable. This legislation falsely promises increased access but delivers more bureaucracy and dependence.

3. Patient Safety Should Come First

CRNAs come to the table with real-world, high-stakes nursing experience in critical care settings—AAs do not. That hands-on background translates to better, safer patient outcomes, especially in emergencies when every second counts.

4. Financial Waste and Redundancy

Adding AAs to the anesthesia care team increases healthcare costs by introducing a provider who cannot function without physician supervision. That redundancy serves no practical purpose in a state already well-served by independent CRNAs.

5. It’s a Power Grab—Not a Patient-Centered Reform

Let’s be honest—this push isn't about improving patient care. It’s about creating another layer of control within the medical industrial complex, consolidating power in the hands of physician groups and healthcare systems. It sidelines nurses and disrespects the decades of sacrifice and expertise CRNAs bring to the table.

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🧭 What Should Tennessee Do Instead?

Rather than importing a new, dependent profession, Tennessee should:

✅ Expand practice authority and reimbursement parity for CRNAs
✅ Invest in rural healthcare access using proven models that utilize CRNAs
✅ Uphold high standards for anesthesia care based on experience, not politics
✅ Support nurse-led initiatives that put patients first—not profits

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📣 We Must Speak Up—Now.

As someone who has dedicated my life to serving patients, I cannot stay silent while our legislators gamble with Tennesseans’ health and safety. If you believe in preserving professional nursing, upholding patient safety, and standing against unnecessary medical overreach, it’s time to act.

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✍️ CALL TO ACTION: Let Your Voice Be Heard

🗣️ Email your state legislators TODAY and urge them to vote NO on HB758 & SB461.

Use this message or personalize it:

Subject: Oppose HB758 & SB461 – Protect Anesthesia Care in Tennessee

Dear [Legislator's Name],
I urge you to oppose HB758 and SB461, which would allow Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs) to practice in Tennessee. We already have a highly skilled anesthesia workforce in our CRNAs—introducing AAs is unnecessary, costly, and potentially harmful to patient safety. Please stand with nurses and patients and vote NO.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Find your legislator here: https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fmlv3/lookup.aspx

Please email the members of the Senate Health & Welfare Committee and respectfully urge them to vote NO on SB461.

sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov

sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov

sen.bobby.harshbarger@capitol.tn.gov

sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov

sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov

sen.becky.massey@capitol.tn.gov

sen.shane.reeves@capitol.tn.gov

sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov

sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov

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This is not just about scope of practice. It’s about truth, integrity, and putting patients before politics.

Kimberly Overton, BSN, RN, BC-FMP Founder/Executive Director Nurse Freedom Network & Remnant Healthcare

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