What is a CAA?
CAAs are graduate level non-physician professionals who work under the supervision of licensed physician anesthesiologists to provide anesthesia care for patients undergoing a variety of procedures requiring pain management.
Their extensive education makes them uniquely qualified to provide the highest quality of care in surgical settings.
Scope of work
CAAs are a vital part of patient care, and locum tenens CAAs are in high demand.
These professionals work in a variety of settings, including pain clinics, hospitals, dental offices, and outpatient surgical centers. CAAs perform a range of key job functions, such as:
- Taking patient histories
- Performing physical exams
- Administering lab tests
- Managing patient airways and anesthesia levels
- Inserting catheters
- Administering medications
- Preparing case summaries
CAAs can also evaluate and respond to life-threatening situations, set up external and internal monitors, and implement general and site-specific anesthetic techniques.
Becoming a CAA requires extensive education, training, and experience. In addition to being highly skilled healthcare providers, CAAs must work well under pressure and in high-stress environments—and they’re invaluable members of anesthesia care teams.
The History of CAAs
The CAA profession was established in the late 1960s by physician anesthesiologists (Drs. Gravenstein, Steinhaus, and Volpitto) who saw an opportunity to add a new specialist to their care teams to accommodate the increasing complexity of anesthesia and surgery.
CAAs joined this list of staff who can administer anesthesia:
- A CAA under the supervision of an anesthesiologist
- A Certified Registered Nurse under the supervision of the operating practitioner or of an anesthesiologist
- A qualified physician anesthesiologist
- A doctor of medicine or osteopathy (other than an anesthesiologist)
- A dentist, oral surgeon, or podiatrist who is qualified to administer anesthesia under state law
These physicians created a college-level educational track whereby undergraduates in premedical training could earn a Master’s degree in Anesthesiology. This person was trained to perform the same job as nurse anesthetists, but could seek admittance to medical school if appropriate.
Today, nurse anesthetist programs require a nursing degree and one year of critical care experience, while certified anesthesiologist assistant programs require a bachelor’s degree emphasizing pre-medical, science-based coursework plus graduate school in Anesthesiology.
In 1969, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia accepted the first CAA students. Soon after, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio opened their CAA program for students.
The National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) was established in 1989 to create a national certification process
Today, CAAs enjoy career opportunities in a growing profession, as evidenced by the addition of training sites and new states across the U.S. opening to CAA practice.
Where Can CAAs Practice?
CAAs are licensed in some states, while others grant physicians the authority to delegate tasks to CAAs.
States, territories, and districts in which CAAs work by license, regulation, and/or certification:
- Alabama
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Utah
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- US Territory Guam
States in which CAAs are granted practice privilege through physician delegation:
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
Additionally, CAAs may practice at any Veterans Affairs facility in all 50 states.
Why Choose Locum Tenens as a CAA?
To fill ever-widening gaps in physician coverage in the U.S., more healthcare facilities are turning to the Locum Tenens model—or the practice of hiring temporary healthcare workers—to solve hard-to-fill staff openings.
If you are a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant looking for an exciting career chapter in locum tenens, Consilium can help you find your next assignment. Contact us today.
This post has been updated and was originally published in October 2024.
