Shaping What Comes Next for Nurse Anesthesiology

Nearly 180 years ago, just miles from where thousands of members of the nurse anesthesia community gathered Aug. 21–25 for the 2026 AANA Annual Congress, the first public demonstration of ether anesthesia changed medicine. 

That history made Boston a fitting place to consider not only how far anesthesia has come, but where nurse anesthesiology goes next. 

That idea was at the center of this year’s theme, Revolutionizing Anesthesia: From Past to Future. Professional Development Committee Chair Jeff Darna, DNP, CRNA, FAANA; former AANA President Jeff Molter, DNP, MBA, CRNA, FAANA; AANA CEO Bill Bruce, MBA, CAE; and AANA President Tracy Young, MSNA, MBA, CRNA, opened Annual Congress by reflecting on the people and progress that built the profession and the work required to shape its future.   

If you weren’t able to join us in Boston or need a recap, here are key themes from the 2026 Annual Congress Opening Ceremony.

The future is already taking shape

Throughout Congress, speakers acknowledged the rapid changes in healthcare, technology, artificial intelligence, education, and the workforce. But Molter highlighted an equally important reality: The fundamental needs at the heart of the profession remain. 

Patients will still need compassionate professionals. Communities will still need access to safe anesthesia care. Students will still need mentors. And nurse anesthesiology will still need people willing to lead and serve. 

Those enduring needs create both an opportunity and a responsibility for CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists. The profession has never advanced by standing still. Its pioneers challenged conventional thinking, built schools, established standards, and organized a profession around better care and access for patients.

The profession moves forward together

Progress has never been the work of one person. Molter reinforced that message by drawing on examples from nature. Whether bees in a hive or geese flying in formation, the lesson was the same: Unity supports strength, survival, and progress.

For nurse anesthesiology, that unity is grounded in shared purpose. Over the past year, AANA members across the country advocated for the profession, educators prepared future CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists, students stepped into leadership, volunteers contributed their time, and state associations and AANA leaders represented nurse anesthesiology in healthcare and government.

Those efforts may look different, but they move the profession in the same direction. As Molter emphasized, unity does not require uniformity. It means bringing different experiences, perspectives, and strengths to a common purpose.

Leadership doesn’t require a title

Leadership in nurse anesthesiology is not limited to elected positions or formal titles. Molter described leadership not as a position, but as a decision to serve. That service can take many forms: mentoring a student, volunteering on a committee, running for office, advocating for the profession, or speaking up when the profession needs a voice.

It also means knowing when to listen, when to give others credit, and when to take responsibility. Reflecting on his year as AANA President, Molter pointed to the culture built by the AANA Board of Directors as one of the accomplishments that made him most proud. Board members could bring different opinions to the table and still move forward with respect and a shared commitment to the profession.

For Molter, leadership in practice means listening more than speaking, helping others succeed, and choosing to serve wherever the opportunity arises.

Today’s work should prepare the profession for tomorrow

Bruce introduced AANA’s new strategic plan, which establishes three priorities that commit to an engaged community, a sustainable business model, and operational excellence.

The plan is designed to evolve with the growing needs of profession. Each new AANA Board will revisit it to ensure the Association’s priorities remain aligned with the current realities facing nurse anesthesiology.

Preparing for the future requires clear direction, but turning strategy into results also depends on member participation. Young described the Association’s evolving committee model simply: members lead, staff enable, and together they deliver meaningful results.

The goal is not simply to prepare for change, but to build an organization that is more adept at responding to it.

The next chapter belongs to everyone

In 2031, AANA will celebrate its centennial, honoring generations of CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists who helped build the profession it is today. 

The milestone is more than an opportunity to look back. It also raises a question about what today’s generation will leave behind. 

Molter asked attendees to imagine a future Annual Congress, when another generation looks back on this moment. What will they say about the CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists who came before them? 

His hope was that they will see a generation that chose unity over division, service over self-interest, courage over comfort, and vision over complacency. A generation that left nurse anesthesiology stronger than they found it. 

The future will eventually become someone else’s history, and today’s decisions will help determine what that history looks like. The next chapter is already being written. What this generation leaves behind is up to all of us.

AANA’s 2027 Annual Congress will take place in New Orleans, LA, from Aug. 8–12, 2027. Sign up to receive updates including news, discounts, and more, as they become available.