CRNA Legacy Builder Georgia Catchings Coleman Broke Barriers in Mississippi

Georgia Catchings Coleman, age 90, holds the distinction of being the first Black Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in the state of Mississippi. Her journey into nurse anesthesiology—while seemingly predestined—took her from Mississippi to New York and ultimately back home, where her legacy continues to shape the profession.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Coleman grew up in a close-knit and protective family, spending much of her childhood at her grandmother’s store. She attended Jackson State Laboratory School and Lanier High School. Following graduation, and at the encouragement of her mother and aunt—both nurses—she enrolled in the Gilfoy School of Nursing at Baptist Hospital (now Mississippi College).

Nursing school exposed Coleman to the realities of segregation from which her family had largely shielded her. On her first day of clinical rotations, she and a classmate greeted their preceptor simultaneously. The preceptor acknowledged her classmate by name and ignored Coleman. When Coleman reacted with a shrug, the preceptor assigned her a five-page paper titled “How to Get Along with Others.” Reflecting on that moment, Coleman later shared, “Those painful experiences only made me determined to succeed as a nurse.”

After graduating from nursing school, Coleman became an instructor in operating room procedures at New York City Hospital. It was there that a fellow healthcare professional encouraged her to consider nurse anesthesiology. When asked what motivated her to pursue the specialty, Coleman recalled, “I don’t want to make it seem like I knew everything, but I was a very focused person.”

Coleman applied to and was accepted into the nurse anesthesia program at Bellevue Hospital in New York. Upon graduating in June 1964, she was offered a position as an instructor in the anesthesia program. In addition to her anesthesia education, Coleman earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a master’s degree in Adult Education from Jackson State University.

Driven by a desire to return closer to family, Coleman accepted a teaching position in 1970 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) nurse anesthesia program. One year later, she was appointed chairperson of the program. In this role, she led a historic transformation—developing a baccalaureate curriculum in 1974 for a program that had previously awarded only certificates, according to Council on Accreditation (COA) records. In 1976, Coleman celebrated the graduation of the program’s first Bachelor of Science class. She served as chairperson of the UMMC program until June 1979.

Throughout her career, Coleman stood as one of only two African American CRNAs in Mississippi during much of her professional tenure, underscoring both her resilience and her trailblazing impact.

Reflecting on the profession, Coleman offered this advice to future CRNAs: “Nurse anesthesiology is a wonderful career that gives you in-depth knowledge about the body—how it works and how it reacts to several types of anesthesia, and most importantly, why it reacts that way. It is more than just giving anesthesia. You have to know your chemistry, math, and English.”

She added, “If you are going to give anesthesia, you have to do it well and do it safely. It is intense but worthwhile. A patient’s life is in your hands until you turn them over to the recovery room.”

After leaving UMMC, Coleman continued her national impact as an educational consultant to nurse anesthesia programs across the United States. She also volunteered with the COA as an on-site visitor for program accreditation, traveling to sites including Honolulu; Augusta, Georgia; Norfolk, Virginia; and San Antonio and El Paso, Texas. She was an AANA member until 2012, at the age of 76.

Beyond healthcare, Coleman also made her mark in high fashion modeling. Her entry into modeling unfolded serendipitously while shopping at a New York department store. As she tried on a dress, a sales associate remarked that the designer had envisioned her when creating it. Moments later, the associate returned with the designer, who invited Coleman to model for him—a storybook moment that reflected her grace and confidence.

Note: Special thanks to CRNA Nathaniel Hughes for arranging this interview in Jackson, Mississippi, in celebration of Mrs. Coleman’s 90th birthday.