CRNA Week: Honoring the Impact of Nurse Anesthetists at the Today Show!
January 18-24, 2026, is CRNA Week! This national celebration recognizes the vital role Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) play in delivering safe, high-quality anesthesia care across the country.
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), CRNAs are essential to patient care, particularly in rural counties where they represent more than 80% of anesthesia providers and are central to the sustainability of many rural hospitals. Additionally, CRNAs can safely deliver pain management care in areas where there are no physician providers available, saving patients long drives of 75 miles or more. CRNA Week is an opportunity to raise awareness of this impact and to celebrate the leadership and clinical excellence of nurse anesthetists.
For Columbia University School of Nursing students, the week is both a moment of advocacy and pride. Margaret Xing, nurse anesthesia resident, shared why CRNA Week resonates so deeply with her:
“CRNA Week is a great opportunity to spread awareness about this amazing profession and the impact nurse anesthetists have on patient care every day. I am proud to be in the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Columbia Nursing and even prouder of the community that supports and inspires me.”
As part of this year’s CRNA Week celebrations, the AANA invited nurse anesthesia residents from Columbia Nursing to appear at the Today Show on Tuesday January 20, 2026, alongside other local schools to highlight the importance of CRNAs and their contributions to patient care. Students and faculty, covered in light and dark blue Columbia Nursing gear, cheered in the crowd, braving the cold to increase the visibility of the profession.
Class of 2028 president Antonio Leonardo Lacerda Rosa Silvia attended the event, and said he loved what the celebration represents.
“I'm from Brazil where community is important. To me, CRNA Week helps bring the community together to celebrate. We are very highly trained anesthesia providers, and I think having this week and bringing everybody together shows the strength and expansiveness of the community.”
Sarah Hampel, nurse anesthesia resident, also shared her thoughts: “CRNA Week is important for the profession. It recognizes how valuable we are in providing anesthesia for the country and many rural communities. Columbia Nursing has had such a big impact; we’ve been trained well for this profession, and I feel very confident entering the world of anesthesia after three years in this program. I'm proud to be a soon-to-be Columbia graduate and looking forward to contributing to the world of anesthesia once I graduate.”
CRNA Week underscores the essential role of nurse anesthetists in patient care, and this year’s Today Show appearance, following the graduation of Columbia Nursing’s first cohort of nurse anesthesia residents last year, reflects the profession’s efforts to increase national visibility.
To learn more about Columbia Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesia program, click here.