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It seems like a logical, long-overdue move. The University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, responding to a statewide shortage of nurses who can administer anesthesia, will this fall launch a program specifically to help alleviate that shortage.
The only question, it seems, is why a similar move wasn't made sooner Despite the severe shortage - the state's hospitals have a nurse anesthetist vacancy rate of about 17 percent - no nursing school in Maryland, except for the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, has offered a nurse anesthesia program until now.
"Anyone who has wanted to be a [certified registered nurse anesthetist] has had to go to Georgetown [University], or New York or Pennsylvania," said Janet Allan, dean of Maryland's School of Nursing (nursing.umaryland.edu). "There's a huge need in our state."
The same can be said for several other states. The shortage of nurse anesthetists is not limited to Maryland, and some universities and colleges...