Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has received a grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to participate in its Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship Program, to prepare Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) for service in rural, urban and tribal underserved communities.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are highly skilled, advanced practice nurses licensed and certified to administer anesthesia for surgeries and other medical procedures.

The program will provide scholarships for Emory CRNA students to gain clinical experience in diverse and underserved areas in the Southeast. During each year of the four-year grant, the School of Nursing will provide data to HRSA on how many program participants took jobs in the same areas upon graduation. Approximately 60 Emory CRNA students will participate in the program.

“This program will give students experiential learning opportunities in health equity, culturally competent care and social determinants of health,” says Kelly Wiltse Nicely, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN, primary investigator on the grant and director of the Emory CRNA program. “It will allow for meaningful connections between the communities we serve and the students who will soon be the providers in those communities.”

In addition to training, the program will continue to enhance diversity within the profession by incorporating underrepresented minority students, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those intending to assume roles in areas facing health professional shortages.

The program’s overarching goal is to expand opportunities for CRNAs, especially new graduates, to make an impact in underserved areas, says project lead Erica Moore, DNP, CRNA, who serves as assistant director of Emory’s CRNA program.

“Nurse anesthetists contributing to these communities play a crucial role, frequently acting as…