For Immediate Release:
October 14, 2009 |
For more information
contact Marlene McDowell
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Wanda Wilson
CRNA, PhD
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Park Ridge, Ill. – Wanda Wilson, CRNA, PhD, MSN, has been selected as the seventh executive director of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). Her official start date is December 1, 2009.
As the AANA’s new executive director, Wilson will work with the Board of Directors to implement the Association’s strategic plan, develop collaborative relationships with other healthcare organizations, and establish the future direction of the nurse anesthesia profession. Her extensive background in healthcare, anesthesia, education and research, and association leadership at the national and state levels will allow her to play a critical role in addressing the issues and concerns of the AANA’s 40,000 members, which represent more than 90 percent of the nation's Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).
“Having worked closely with Wanda on the Board during her ascent to becoming the AANA president (2007-08), I could not be more certain that she is the right person to lead the AANA staff as executive director,” said AANA President James Walker, CRNA, PhD. “A tireless worker with strong management skills and a team-builder mentality, Wanda will bring a fresh and dynamic perspective to the AANA offices in Park Ridge, Ill., and Washington, D.C.”
Prior to being hired at the AANA, Wilson enjoyed a stellar career as the nurse anesthesia educational program director and professor of clinical nursing for the University of Cincinnati’s College of Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia Major. The highly regarded Cincinnati program includes a primary clinical site at the University Hospital in Cincinnati, where Wilson maintained her clinical skills while directing the education of 28-32 nurse anesthesia students per year. Additionally, her strong research background will prove beneficial in supporting the AANA’s ongoing initiative to ensure that all nurse anesthesia practice standards and guidelines are evidence-based.
As an AANA member, Wilson spent years serving on committees and boards at the state and national levels, ultimately being elected as the AANA’s 62nd president in the summer of 2007 following a six-year rise on the Board. Wilson never lost an election during that time, a true testament to the membership’s confidence in her abilities. During this six-year period of complete immersion in the AANA, Wilson developed a thorough understanding of the Association’s culture, structure, operations, policies and procedures, and issues, all the while honing her leadership and management abilities.
“Being a nurse anesthetist is much more than a career, it is a passion that those of us in the profession develop as we advance through school on our way to becoming CRNAs,” said Wilson. “I am humbled by the trust and confidence my peers have placed in my ability to lead this incredible Association, and I look forward to working side by side with the Board of Directors and staff to shape the future of the AANA, advance the profession of nurse anesthesia, and continue to ensure safe anesthesia care for our patients.”
Wilson received her doctorate degree in nursing science and physiology, and a master’s degree in nursing, from the University of Cincinnati. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Cincinnati; her nurse anesthesia diploma from Cincinnati General Hospital; and her nursing diploma from Holzer Medical Center in Gallipolis, Ohio.
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