Who wanted to bring anesthesia into the realm of medical practice away from nursing?

• A. Dr. Ralph Waters
• B. James McLean
• C. Agatha Hodgins
• D. William Halsted

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the historical move to make anesthesia a medical specialty led by physicians rather than a nursing task. Dr. Ralph Waters argued that anesthesia should be administered by doctors with medical training, establishing dedicated anesthesia departments, formal residency education, and professional standards. His work helped shift the field from primarily nursing practice under surgeons to physician-led anesthesia care, laying the groundwork for board certification and independent medical practice in anesthesia. Before this shift, nurse anesthetists played a central role, so Waters’s contributions marked a turning point toward medical leadership in the field. While William Halsted was a pioneer in surgery and used anesthesia, he did not drive the movement to place anesthesia under medical practice. James McLean’s role is not central to this particular shift. Agatha Hodgins is associated with nurse-administered anesthesia, illustrating the pre-Waters era.