History of the Massachusetts Association of Nurse Anesthetists

The Massachusetts Association of Nurse Anesthetists had its organizational meeting on May 22, 1940, at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the "Ether Dome" with 27 members present.
The first elected officers and board of trustees were:
President: Elizabeth Farrell Spaulding
First Vice President: Marion Smith
Second Vice President: Elizabeth MacRae
Secretary-Treasurer: Betty Lank

Trustees: Elizabeth Farrell Spaulding, Gertrude Gerrrard, Betty Lank, Jessie Bliss
Miss Agatha Hodgins was the guest speaker and gave a talk on the organization of state associations. The list of charter members include; Agatha Hodgins, Elizabeth Farrell, Gertrude M Gerrard, Marion Smith, Elizabeth MacRae, Dilys Reynolds, Jessie M. Bliss, Jane R. Foscray, Mary Jane Young, K. Eva MacArthur, Helen Cooper Bond, Aksenia Pupchik, Clara A. Henry, Gladys McCracken, Helen Fitzgerald, Shina F. Ritchie, Ethel L. Leslie, Gertrude Lytton and Sara A. Metzler.
At the September 15, 1940, meeting it was announced that the Massachusetts Association of Nurse Anesthetists was accepted as an affiliate of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists as of July 11,1940. At the end of 1940, the total membership stood at; 57 active members, 3 associate members, 4 applications pending, and 9 members dropped for non-payment of dues.

Throughout the war years, the meetings were changed from four per year, to two per year. The association purchased a $50.00 war bond. There were six members in the armed services, each received a gift in 1942 from the association. In 1944 the association hired its first lobbyist, Mr. Ingalls, Atty., to "watch the Bills in the Legislature" for $50.00 per year. He remained in that capacity until 1947, when Mr. G. Joseph Tauro, Atty. assumed the task of "watching the Bills in the Legislature" also for $50.00.

Each of the early annual meetings consisted of voting in the new officers and board of directors, discussing the challenges of the day, having a practitioner present an educational topic, and ending with refreshments or dinner.

Today, our membership is in excess of 600 Nurse Anesthetists, working in hospitals , surgi-centers and offices. Providing quality anesthesia and compassion to our patients.

AANA 75th Anniversary Timeline

The Early Days.....

St. Mary’s Hospital, now Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 1920s?. Photo courtesy of AANA

St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital, Chicago, 1956. Photo courtesy of AANA.

AANA Archivist-Librarian, Kathy Koch, MLIS, CA, and Senior Director of Communications, Christopher Bettin, MA have compiled an in depth and fascinating timeline in honor of AANA’s 75th anniversary.  Some of their notable findings are below.  View the entire timeline at http://www.aana.com/75th/history.aspx

Historical Factoid: The first demonstration of the anesthetizing property of ether in America, by William T.G. Morton, led to the development of modern surgery.

1877 - Sister Mary Bernard, a nurse at St. Vincent's Hospital in Erie, Pa., became the first nurse to specialize in anesthesia.

1899 - Alice Magaw, “Mother of Anesthesia” published “Observations in Anesthesia,” the first paper by a nurse anesthetist, in the Northwestern Lancet.

1903 - Florence Henderson became Dr. Charles Mayo's anesthetist at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn.

1909 - The first hospital-based nurse anesthesia training program was opened at St Vincent's Hospital in Portland, Ore., by nurse anesthetist Agnes McGee. (Thatcher p95 )

1922 - Alice M. Hunt received an appointment as instructor of anesthesia with university rank at Yale Medical School, where she taught until 1948. Her book Anesthesia: Principles and Practice: a Presentation for the Nursing Profession was published in 1949. 

1931 - Agatha Hodgins founded the National Association of Nurse Anesthetists (NANA) on June 17, in Cleveland, Ohio, the first national association of anesthesia providers in the United States. (Thatcher p184, Bankert p76)

1934 - In Chalmers-Francis v Nelson, the California Supreme Court affirmed the superior court finding for nurse anesthetist Dagmar Nelson in a ruling that confirmed the legality of nurse anesthesia practice. AANA filed its first amicus curiae brief for the case.

The NANA changed its name to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and reincorporated in Illinois on October 17.

1940 - MANA is formed. 

1944 - AANA membership was extended to African-American nurse anesthetists.

1945 - The AANA administered its first qualifying (certification) examination on June 4. The 38-page examination included true-false, fill-in, essay, and multiple-choice questions. It was taken by 90 women in 39 hospitals in 28 states, plus one in the Territory of Hawaii.

1947 - AANA membership was extended to male nurse anesthetists
The first issue of the AANA NewsBulletin was published.

1952 - The AANA implemented its program for accrediting nurse anesthesia schools in January.

1956 - The credential Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) was adopted.

1968 - The AANA NewsBulletin and the ASA Newsletter published the jointly developed “ASA-AANA Statement” which concluded “[i]t is, therefore, highly desirable that continued close liaisons be developed between these organizations for enhancing the quality and quantity of available personnel, for advancing educational opportunities, for determining ethical relationships and for the overall improvement of patient care.” (Bankert p150)

1971 - The first bachelors degree program in anesthesia began at Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D. (NB Nov 1971 and Mar 1971)

1978 - AANA members approved mandatory continuing education for CRNAs, which became effective in 1978.

The Peer Assistance Hotline was established. (NB Dec 1986) (800 654-5167)

1989 - Nurse anesthesia was named one of the 25 hottest careers by Working Woman magazine. (NB July 1989)

1992 - AANA Membership passed 25,000. (NB Nov 1992 suppl)

1999 - Fortune magazine listed the AANA as one of the most powerful lobbying organizations, in 101st place. (NB Jan 2000)

2000 - The first official observance of National Nurse Anesthetists Week was in January.