U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for January 24 -- WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau: Profile America - Thursday, January 24th. Surgery has been practiced since the Stone Age, but the fearsome pain suffered by the patients of such procedures held back the practice for ages. This began to be resolved in the 19th century with the advent of anesthesia. Now anesthesia is an advanced and specialized component of the surgical process. In recognition, January 20 through the 26th is Nurse Anesthetists Week, celebrating the professionals that are the main provider of anesthesia in rural America. There are 2.7 million registered nurses in the U.S. Those specializing in anesthesia are mostly concentrated among the 1.5 million nurses working in America's approximately 6,500 hospitals. Sources: 2007 Economic Census, NAICS 622 Bureau of Labor Statistics American Association of Nurse Anesthetists