Greenwood, MS, September 10, 2022
Nina Bolinger McLain-Calkins, Ph.D., CRNA, University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Nurse Anesthesia Program Administrator was also selected for the FAANA honor. Her anesthesia experience spans 31 years in the operating room. Currently, she practices clinically for LifeLinc Anesthesia at Neshoba County General Hospital in Philadelphia, MS and occasionally at Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian. She was drawn to education in 2005 and served as Associate Professor in the Nurse Anesthesia program at Samford University in Birmingham, AL until 2016. In 2017, Dr. Mclain was brought onboard at USM as the Nurse Anesthesia Assistant Program Director for a semester before assuming the role as Program Director where she still serves today and is on tenure-track. During her time at USM, she has researched medical device development and formed a company in partnership with USM’s Research Foundation around an oral suction device to prevent aspiration and ventilator associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients. Another research trajectory of Nina’s is educational innovation. Bringing active learning techniques and engagement strategies, as well as simulation to the classroom is a love of Nina’s. She sits on the Health and Human Services National Advisory Council of Nurse Education and Practice as the only CRNA and is completing her term as Vice President of the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists this spring.
Nina (Lisa to hometown Philadelphia, Mississippi friends), received her associate degree in nursing from Meridian Community college, her Bachelor of Science degree from USM, her Masters of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from Xavier University in New Orleans, and her Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She has received many awards and accolades for research and grant funding for medical device development.
This year, 51 individuals were inducted to the 2022 class of Fellows of the AANA. To date, only 116 CRNAs have received the FAANA designation. To be awarded the FAANA distinction, applicants must be credentialed as a CRNA for a minimum of 10 consecutive years; be an AANA member for at least 10 years; have a minimum of 10 years of full-time professional experience as a practitioner of anesthesiology or educator/program director, facility leader or business leader; have a record of attending AANA conferences; demonstrate outstanding achievements in nurse anesthesia and leadership that command respect and recognition from other leaders in the profession; and provide evidence of enduring and substantial professional achievement that demonstrates professional and personal growth and use of innovative, creative solutions in at least one of several categories.
About AANA:
Founded in 1931 and located in Rosemont, Ill., the AANA is the professional organization for more than 58,900 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) across the United States. The AANA advances patient safety and the CRNA profession through excellence in practice and service to members. Learn more at www.aana.com.