Nurse Anesthesia Program Celebrates 75 Years

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 7, 2017 – Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s internationally accredited Nurse Anesthesia program is celebrating 75 years of educating students to become certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs).

Founded in 1942, the program at Wake Forest School of Medicine is the longest continually running nurse anesthesia program in North Carolina and has graduated more than 900 students.

Wake Forest Baptist’s Nurse Anesthesia graduates are prepared to plan, administer and manage anesthetic care to a wide range of patients and in various settings around the globe and across the nation as CRNAs.

The program is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” as among the top 10 nurse anesthesia programs in the country.

“In addition to demonstrating a passion for delivering world-class patient care, students who enroll in our program are determined to be involved in service learning and global outreach,” said Michael Rieker, D.N.P., C.R.N.A., director of the Nurse Anesthesia program. “We combine established excellence with innovative education to produce graduates who become leaders in our communities and around the world.”

Currently, 48 students are enrolled in the two-year program, with 24 students in each class. Graduates receive a Master of Science in nurse anesthesia from Wake Forest School of Medicine.

SOURCE: Wake Forest School of Medicine