Can CAAs practice in Pennsylvania?
Yes — CAAs practice in Pennsylvania under physician delegation.
Pennsylvania has no CAA license, but CAAs work in some Pennsylvania hospitals under a physician's general delegation authority, with the anesthesiologist retaining responsibility. Whether you can practice depends on the employer's bylaws and credentialing, not a state license.
Confidence: low. Parts of this status rest on indirect or incomplete sources; the notes below explain what is uncertain.
- Legal authority
- 49 Pa. Code § 18.402 (physician delegation of medical services)
- Effective
- —
- Supervision
- No AA-specific rule; a delegating physician (anesthesiologist) must ensure the delegatee's competency and remains responsible for the delegated service under 49 Pa. Code § 18.402 — specifics are set by facility policy.
- Last verified
- 2026-08-12
Notes
No AA statute, license, or board rule names AAs; § 18.402 is a general delegation regulation and does not mention them. ASA/AAAA describe PA as a delegatory-practice state (recognized ~2022), but even the PA Academy's own FAQ names only TX and MI as delegation states, so treat practice authority as employer- and counsel-dependent. Licensure bills HB 1956/SB 1258 (2021-22) died; no 2025-26 CAA bill found as of Aug 2026 (HB 2121 is unrelated). CRNA association (PANA) actively opposes CAA licensure.