Dave Knips has been a certified nurse anesthetist at Luverne Community Hospital since 1982.
By Lori Ehde
This week, Jan. 20 through 26, is National Nurse Anesthetists Week, and Luverne Community Hospital's Dave Knips says having an anesthetic is now safer than the risk of driving.
Knips, a certified nurse anesthetist, started at Luverne Community Hospital in 1982. Since then, he's seen significant improvements in methods and outcomes of anesthesia.
"It's safer today to have an anesthetic than it would be to drive your car down Main Street," he said.
National mortality rates have improved from 1 in 100,000 20 years ago to one death for every 240,000 anesthesized people today.
Knips said this is due to improved technology and medication and better training for nurse anesthetists and physician anesthesiologists.
"In the past, emerging from an anesthetic could take hours. There was more nausea and vomiting," he said. "Now patients emerge faster and are clearer mentally."
Since the hospital purchased a Bispectral Index Monitor in December 1999, anesthesia in Luverne has become an exact science.
The BIS monitor analyzes brain waves to determine a patient's exact level of consciousness.
In addition, vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature and oxygenation are used to determine depth of anesthesia.
With more precise monitoring, anesthesia staff can tailor a patient's anesthetic to their exact needs. This results in a decreased wake-up time, which ultimately leads to fewer complications.
Certification for nurse anesthetists requires seven years of training and education. Knips went to Mount Marty College, Yankton, S.D., for a four-year degree in nursing.
He spent nearly two years training in critical care, such as an emergency room or a coronary care unit.
He then completed a two-year anesthesia program, also at Mount Marty, which offered one of the first degrees in anesthesia in the nation at the time.
The difference between a certified nurse anesthetist and an anesthesiologist is that prior to anesthesia education anesthesiologists receive medical education while CRNAs receive nursing education. Both receive the same two-year anesthesia training.
Knips said working with people and being able to help them through their hospital experience is the most rewarding aspect of his job.
"It's an ever-changing challenge," he said. "Most people think I give one shot, the anesthesia begins, and my job is finished. This is just the beginning. Every anesthetic is different, and every patient responds differently. It's my job to see patients receive the best anesthetic possible for their situation."
Knips grew up near Magnolia and graduated from Adrian High School.
He and his wife, Brenda, live in Luverne and have four children: Stacey, Megan, Erica and Matt.