National CRNA Week 2027 runs Sunday, January 17 through Saturday, January 23, 2027. It is the AANA's annual celebration of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and the residents training in nurse anesthesiology programs.
The week has been a January tradition since 2000, and AANA says it honors the more than 79,000 CRNAs and nurse anesthesiology residents across the country. Confirm each year's dates on aana.com, since AANA posts them well in advance.
Key points
- CRNA Week 2027: January 17 to 23.
- A January tradition run by the AANA since 2000.
- AANA's free toolkit has posters, social banners, and daily prompts.
- Residents and SRNAs are explicitly part of the celebration.
What CRNA Week celebrates
CRNAs deliver anesthesia across every setting where it happens: operating rooms, obstetric units, outpatient surgery centers, physician and dental offices, pain clinics, and the military. In many rural hospitals, a CRNA is the only anesthesia professional on site.
CRNA Week exists for two purposes at once. It thanks the profession, and it educates patients, administrators, and lawmakers about who is actually keeping anesthesia services running, which is why AANA pairs the celebration materials with advocacy tools.
How facilities and CRNAs mark the week
AANA publishes a CRNA Week Toolkit each year with posters, logos, social media banners, and daily themed prompts. Common ways facilities and individuals use the week:
- Department celebrations. Breakfasts, recognition boards, and shout-outs in hospital newsletters for anesthesia staff.
- Social media. Profile frames, daily post prompts from the toolkit, and photos of the team, which AANA invites members to submit for its own channels.
- Patient education. Tables or flyers explaining what a CRNA is, since many patients never learn who gave their anesthetic.
- Advocacy. AANA provides state resolution templates and op-ed templates, and some CRNAs use the week to meet state legislators or write local media.
- Billboards. AANA offers free billboard design through an interest form, with the requester covering placement costs.
- Mentoring. Hospital visits or talks for ICU nurses considering anesthesia school, which is often how the next cohort of applicants gets started. Point interested colleagues to how to become a CRNA.
If you manage a group or department, the week is an easy, cheap retention gesture. Public recognition costs little and lands well in a tight labor market, and the practice owners hub has more on keeping teams staffed.
Quick facts to share during CRNA Week
Every figure below is sourced, so you can reuse them in posts or flyers:
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| CRNAs in the US | More than 67,000 (AANA, September 2026) |
| Celebrated during CRNA Week | 79,000+ CRNAs and residents (AANA) |
| Accredited nurse anesthesiology programs | 154 active (COA list, 2026) |
| Program length | 36 to 51 months, doctoral degree required |
| First-time NCE pass rate, 2025 | 90.5 percent (NBCRNA) |
| Mean annual pay | $248,320 (BLS, May 2025) |
| Projected job growth 2025 to 2035 | About 10 percent (BLS) |
| States opted out of Medicare physician supervision | 27 plus DC and Guam (September 2026) |
For deeper dives, see CRNA salary, the CRNA shortage, and CRNA opt-out states.
A short history note
AANA began the January celebration in 2000, and the event has carried a few names over the years before settling on National CRNA Week. The profession it honors is much older, since nurses have delivered anesthesia in the United States since the 19th century and through every major American conflict since World War I.
That military thread is still visible today, with CRNAs serving as the primary anesthesia providers in many forward military settings. See CRNAs in the military.
Quick answers
When is National CRNA Week 2027?
January 17 to 23, 2027, per AANA's event listing. The week falls in late January each year.
Who started CRNA Week?
The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), which has run it as a January tradition since 2000.
How can students and SRNAs take part?
Residents are explicitly included in the celebration. Share your program journey, thank your preceptors publicly, and use the AANA toolkit graphics, and if you are still applying, the week is a good prompt to start the application timeline.
Is there a theme each year?
AANA's toolkit typically includes daily themed social prompts. Check aana.com for the current year's materials.
Sources
- AANA: National CRNA Week
- AANA event listing: National CRNA Week 2027
- AANA CRNA Fact Sheet
- COA List of Accredited Educational Programs (July 2026)
- NBCRNA Annual NCE and SEE Report 2025
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
- AANA Fact Sheet Concerning State Opt-Outs (September 2026)