This August, Dr. Kelly L. Wiltse Nicely, PhD, CRNA Program Director, Nurse Anesthesia at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, will be among the first cohort of Fellows to be inducted at The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Annual Congress. As a Fellow of the AANA, Dr. Wiltse Nicely will be recognized with the FAANA designation for her contributions and commitment to the field of anesthesia.
Created to recognize leaders in the field of nurse anesthesia, the AANA attributes this achievement to dedicated health professionals who continue to demonstrate professional and personal growth. The inaugural class of AANA Fellows developed innovative solutions that have helped advance the profession of nurse anesthesia and its nursing delivery models. In order to be considered for the FAANA designation, the nurse anesthesia practitioner must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous certification as a registered nurse anesthetist.
Dr. Wiltse Nicely merited her role as Director for the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in December 2016. She has been involved in clinical practice for more than a decade, specializing in cardiac anesthesia. Her work continues to make a tremendous impact on patient outcomes with research that primarily focuses on pain, interprofessional education, collaborative practice, and nursing delivery models.
Throughout Dr. Wiltse Nicely's career at Emory, she has given the school many firsts, including her dedicated efforts in helping the DNP Nurse Anesthesia program through its initial accreditation process. Emory School of Nursing's DNP Nurse Anesthesia program then welcomed its first cohort of students in August 2017. As a nurse leader, Dr. Wiltse Nicely provides her students the opportunity to gain clinical experience where they train to ensure patient safety and comfort during the entire continuum of care.
Dr. Wiltse Nicely's research has been published in journals such as Health Services Research and Academic Medicine and she has contributed to multiple book chapters. Dr. Wiltse Nicely has helped prepare Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) at the highest professional level of nursing practice and leadership. Her profound commitment to her patients, research, and education has set her apart in her discipline.
To learn more about the AANA and the Fellows of the AANA, visit their website. For more information on Dr. Kelly Wiltse Nicely, visit her faculty profile. To learn more about the DNP program, visit Emory's website.