Latest News

CANA Responds to California Attorney General Bonta and Multistate Coalition for Defending Student Loan Pathways for Nurses

Today, Kristen Roman, DNAP, CRNA, President of the California Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (CANA), issued the following statement responding to the lawsuit filed May 19, 2026 by a coalition of 24 attorneys general, including Attorney General Bonta, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Get The Facts about AB 876 (Flora, 2025)

Now signed into law, AB 876 (Flora, 2025) re-affirmed CRNAs’ long-standing legal authority to deliver anesthesia care independently. By strengthening the Nurse Anesthetist Act, AB 876 increases access to essential anesthesia services across the state. Watch the recording from our webinar in January 2026 to get the facts from the bill’s author Asm. Heath Flora, Katherine A. Bowles, RN, Esq., sponsor, and other key stakeholders. Hosted by the California Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.

CANA hosts 2026 Rural Healthcare Symposium: Addressing Access, Workforce Sustainability, and Health Equity

The 2026 California Rural Health Care Symposium brought together legislators, health care leaders, and frontline providers for a day of meaningful dialogue focused on improving access to care, strengthening the rural health workforce, and advancing health equity across California. Through expert panels and cross-sector discussion, the symposium highlighted practical, policy-driven solutions to support rural communities and the patients who rely on them.

Patient Information

Who can administer anesthesia? What are the different types of anesthesia? Is anesthesia safe? Find answers to commonly asked questions here.

Welcome to CANA

Nurse anesthetists have been administering anesthesia to patients in the United States for over 150 years, ever since the Civil War.

The credential CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) came into existence in 1956. CRNAs are anesthesia professionals who safely administer more than 40 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) 2017 Practice Profile Survey.

Donate to CANA

There are a number of ways to support CANA and its activities on behalf of the nurse anesthesia community.

Latest Video

CANA has released a public service announcement about CRNAs — have you seen it? Watch Now!