AUSTIN, TEXAS—The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) has awarded Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Robyn C. Ward, Ph.D., CRNA, USN(ret), the designation of Fellow of the AANA (FAANA) – a recognized hallmark of leadership and outstanding achievements in the profession and science of nurse anesthesia.
Ward, a Fort Worth-area CRNA and member of the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TxANA), currently works as the Director of the School of Nurse Anesthesia at Texas Christian University (TCU).
Her military service as sole anesthesia provider while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom laid the groundwork for her commitment to endorse competence and scope of practice for CRNAs. In her seventeen years of leadership and professional service with the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), she has worked tirelessly to validate the credential for certification, continued certification, and specialty certification in Nonsurgical Pain Management (NSPM).
“I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition from my professional colleagues at AANA,” Ward said. “It’s an honor to be a part of TxANA - and I thank my colleagues at TCU and across the state as we work together to advance our profession through the graduation of safe and competent CRNAs and chronic pain providers.”
The FAANA designation is the organization’s most elite professional achievement. By earning the right to include this designation among their credentials, Fellows have demonstrated a high level of commitment to the growth and advancement of nurse anesthesiology.
“We recognize Ward as a leader who has demonstrated a depth of expertise that is critical to shaping the future of anesthesia care,” said Lorraine Jordan, Ph.D., CRNA, CAE, FAAN, Chief Advocacy Officer of AANA, and CEO of the AANA Foundation. “Earning this distinction signifies a commitment of excellence and dedication to making impactful changes for our profession.”
This year, Ward joins 50 other individuals who were inducted into the 2022 class of Fellows of the AANA. To be awarded the FAANA distinction, applicants must:
To date, only 116 CRNAs in the United States have received the FAANA designation.
“I am committed to the education, training, and future subspecialty certification of our nation's chronic pain providers and to the mitigation of our nation's opioid epidemic,” Ward said.
About TxANA
Advancing patient safety and the profession of nurse anesthesia, the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TxANA) was founded on Aug. 9, 1974. Its goals include facilitating cooperation between nurse anesthetists and the health care profession, hospitals, healthcare providers, and other agencies interested in anesthesia. The membership is limited to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and Nurse Anesthesia Students who are members of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).
Nurses were the first professional group to specialize in and provide anesthesia services in the United States in the 1880s. Today there are over 59,000 CRNAs practicing throughout the United States, of which more than 5,000 are located in Texas. CRNAs are advanced practice nurses registered by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). CRNAs must hold a current state license as a registered nurse, graduate from an approved educational program, successfully complete the certification examination and comply with continuing education requirements for recertification. Learn more at www.txana.org.
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