Kay K. Sanders Receives National Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

Fort Worth, TX

8/18/2008

Kay K. Sanders, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at TCU, has been named the 2008 Program Director of the Year by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).

The Program Director of the Year Award, established in 1991, is presented to a CRNA who has made a significant contribution as a program director to the educational process of student nurse anesthetists.  The award recognizes the commitment of individuals to the profession of nurse anesthesia and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesia and result in high-quality patient care.  Currently, there are 106 nurse anesthesia programs, and more than 1,300 affiliated clinical sites in the United States.  Nurse anesthesia programs are completed within 24-36 months, and students graduate with a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia.

Sanders is currently director, School of Nurse Anesthesia, and Clinical Professor, at Texas Christian University School of Nurse Anesthesia in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I feel honored to have both received this award and to have played a role in the careers of so many nurse anesthetists over the years,” said Sanders.  “I think we as healthcare providers and nurse anesthetists never really stop learning.  Nevertheless, it is our anesthesia education that allows us to provide many patients with a safe, high-quality anesthetic all over the country everyday.  What better job could there be than relieving someone of their pain?”

Sanders has been credited with playing an instrumental role in the evolution of nurse anesthesia education.  She was an early pioneer of live video-teleconferencing and made nurse anesthesia education available to more students than in previous years.  Throughout her 21 years as a program director, Sanders has graduated a total of 780 students. 

A CRNA for more than 20 years, Sanders graduated from Harris Methodist Hospital Graduate School of Nurse Anesthesia and received her master’s degree in health science from Texas Wesleyan College, both located in Fort Worth, Texas.  In addition, she earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, and a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from H. Sophie Newcomb College at Tulane University in New Orleans, La. She is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at TCU.