CRNA Today

There is a new CRNA company which is delivering complete online education for CRNAs in a fresh and engaging way. Nick Crofut, CRNA is the owner and founder of CRNA Today and Anthony Chipas, CRNA PhD serves as Editor in Chief. 

This article links to www.CRNAToday.com, which offers background information, so let's go right to questions about your new company.

Q: Inspire us? Pardon my skepticism, but it is rare to be inspired when thinking of obtaining CE credits. How do you plan to inspire your subscribers?

A: CRNAToday.com wants to blend practical application of today’s best anesthesia practices with innovation for tomorrow.  We are creating our lectures to be interactive, allowing CRNAs to share their knowledge and experience.   Feedback from our education modules will be made available on our member only section for subscribers to review as they come available.  Our simple, revolutionary instructional environment allows CRNAs to enjoy continuing education – not dread it.  And we’re creating a climate of participation in which CRNAs can act as both learner and teacher by contributing content, enjoying guest lecturers and authors, and interacting with each other on issues that are relevant to them. 

Q: You already have many competitors providing similar content. How will CRNA Today be different?

A: Even though there are other companies offering online or remote CE credits, CRNA Today is unique.  We are the only site offering three attempts to pass each test.  Our lectures are currently audio power points, offering interactivity with feedback and with video lectures being developed into our instruction delivery we are truly different.  All testing and credit awards are done automatically and completely online – there are no papers to mail in and no hassles.    All instruction is grounded in evidence-based practices that rely on the practical experience of seasoned CRNAs.  CRNAToday.com is truly the best option on the market today for obtaining online CE credits!

Q: I like your website, although it is a work in progress.  It appears well organized and easy to navigate. Besides the website, do you plan to offer any meetings or "hands on workshops"?

A: CRNA Today is still a young company and we have many, many concepts that have not yet translated into reality.  At this point we aren’t offering workshops, but as our subscriber base grows we will expand with live lectures, panel discussions and a larger database of CRNA contributed articles and video demos.  We welcome ideas, feedback and contributions from our subscribers, and we plan over time to build the website into a comprehensive resource for the entire community of CRNAs nationwide.

Q: Your editors are all CRNAs. Are you considering including lectures or classes from non-CRNAs?

A: That’s a great question and it’s one we have pondered ourselves.  For now, we are focused on CRNAs and developing content and resources specifically for that community.  We certainly value our colleagues in the OR and may at some point consider outside contributions, but for now we are CRNA-centric and want to perfect our appeal to that audience before branching out.

Q: Your goal is to develop a "vibrant and interactive community of CRNAs". How will you do that?

A: CRNA Today is definitely committed to pushing the edge of the industry and breaking new ground in knowledge sharing, community building and education delivery.  We believe that responsiveness is the key to accomplishing that aim… being responsive to our subscribers, to marketplace demands and to industry shifts.  A year ago I truly thought that a regular journal or newsletter would be a central part of our offerings, but after some research we realized that many CRNA-oriented journals already exist and the need wasn’t there for another one.  So we shifted our tactics and focused on giving CRNAs services that didn’t currently exist. 

We believe there is a gap in what is offered to CRNAs and what they want or need for their particular practice.  For example, in the market now when a CRNA takes a CE course online there is NO opportunity for follow-up questions, comments, or ability to share a case scenario.  We will be developing our site to allow subscribers to dive deeper into the topic with other CRNAs that have taken the same course.  Allowing other members to read and learn from their knowledge and experience.  We strive to keep our finger on the pulse of the CRNA community so that demand drives our content and our subscribers keep coming back for more.

Q: What motivated you to launch CRNA Today?

A: It may sound corny, but I was so impressed by all the smart, talented CRNAs I saw around me everyday and I wanted to create a way in which they could share experiences and innovation in anesthesia.  There are so many inspiring things happening in our field and so many excellent CRNAs to learn from!  What I saw lacking was the link between Education and the use of technology to share each other’s knowledge and experience.  Remember, CRNA today values the CRNA community and looks to help create a culture of learning.  Lots of CRNAs work largely in isolation and they can’t always make it to a conference or a workshop – they can’t always ask a colleague a question or see a new technique first-hand.  I launched www.CRNAToday.com  to create an online platform for support, stories and instruction, and I can’t wait to see what the future will hold.

I hope this answered your questions.  Thank you for the opportunity to get the message out about CRNA Today.  I am a regular visitor to CRNAbiz and think your offering a great service allowing CRNAs to stay in touch.  I hope to link that service with Education.  Like I said, I blog on your site and welcome any comments or feedback.


Thank you for sharing your vision.We look forward to the further development of CRNA Today.