VUMC leader to head up new nurse anesthesia program at Vanderbilt School of Nursing

Brent Dunworth

Brent Dunworth, DNP, MBA, CRNA, NEA-BC, FAANA, joined Vanderbilt University School of Nursing on Nov. 1 as director of its new nurse anesthesia program, slated to launch in 2026. He has a joint appointment as VUSN associate professor of nursing and with the School of Medicine as associate professor of clinical anesthesiology.

Dunworth most recently was the associate nurse executive of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Office of Advanced Practice, where he led VUMC's more than 1,600 certified registered nurse anesthetists , nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and physician assistants. Dunworth has 25 years' experience as a CRNA and more than two decades as an educator.

"Finding the right leader to develop and lead Vanderbilt's new nurse anesthesia program was crucial," said School of Nursing Dean Pamela Jeffries, PhD, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH. "The new director will be charged with developing curriculum, hiring faculty, working with clinical partners, handling administration and, of course, teaching. Brent's clinical and academic experience and relationships with VUMC will allow him to hit the ground running. We can't wait to have him on board."

Warren Sandberg, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and chief of staff for Vanderbilt University Hospital, said Dunworth's organizational and academic capability will be well utilized in VUSN's new program.

"During his time in the Department of Anesthesiology, and subsequently as the VUMC advanced practice leader, he really did some groundbreaking work. For example, he established a labor productivity standard for APPs [advanced practice providers] working in the inpatient space," Sandberg said, noting that Dunworth also initiated projects to ensure complex services could provide homogeneous APP coverage by pooling resources. "He's going to bring that kind of organizational capability to the School of Nursing CRNA program, which is exactly what is needed for a startup in a highly regulated space," Sandberg said. "Brent also has fantastic skills at interdigitating APPs and physician trainees. The two groups are highly dependent on one another, and Brent has always led in this space. It's fitting that he should now lead CRNA education, too."

One key aspect of Vanderbilt's future nurse anesthesia program is that students will obtain their clinical training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dunworth's VUMC experience will be valuable for both organizations.

"Dr. Dunworth is truly an outstanding clinical educator, appreciative of modern pedagogy and evolving practice trends. He has a proven commitment to training tomorrow's CRNAs to the very highest performance standards, while providing an unparalleled depth and range of clinical exposure at sites across the VUMC enterprise," said Brian Gelfand, MD, vice chair for educational affairs and associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "In his new role, Dr. Dunworth's vision and guidance will establish VUSN program graduates as the recognized future leaders in academic nurse anesthesia in our nation."

Dunworth said he's looking forward to a full-time career in academics. "The opportunity to serve as the inaugural program director for the nurse anesthesia program at VUSN will be a true career highlight. The opportunity to utilize my clinical practice experience, teaching and leadership skills to create a world-class nurse anesthesia educational program is a true honor," Dunworth said. "The resources and support of both the university and the medical center have set the stage for a truly remarkable educational experience for our future students. The VU and VUMC partnership will serve the need to address the growing need for nurse anesthetists across our country."

The demand for nurse anesthetists is expected to grow as an aging population requires more surgical procedures and preventive care. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, CRNAs make up more than half of the anesthesia workforce in the country, providing more than 50 million anesthetics each year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 40 percent growth in demand for CRNAs by 2032.

Dunworth joined VUMC in 2015 as director of Advanced Practice in Anesthesiology and chief nurse anesthetist. Under his leadership, VUMC's CRNA team grew by more than 50 percent, with CRNAs now providing care 24 hours a day, seven days per week across the VUMC enterprise.

Before arriving at VUMC, Dunworth was the senior director for nurse anesthesia at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In that role, he directed anesthesia patient care for 16 hospitals and led more than 450 CRNAs. He also served as faculty at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and Waynesburg University College of Nursing.

Previously, Dunworth held a primary faculty appointment in the School of Medicine as an assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology and a secondary appointment at VUSN as an assistant professor of nursing. He serves as faculty at the Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, adjunct assistant professor of nurse anesthesia at the University of Pittsburgh, and on the advisory committee for the anesthesia technology program at Columbia State Community College.

His scholarly interests include health care education, respiratory compromise, technology in anesthesia, evidence-based practice, and clinical leadership and management. He has presented internationally, nationally and regionally, and is a reviewer for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Journal as well as a member of the editorial board for the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. He serves on the board and clinical advisory committee of the Respiratory Compromise Institute, a national interprofessional organization committed to reducing the incidence of respiratory compromise.

Among his honors are the Nevin Downs, MD Leadership Award from the Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists' Didactic Instructor of the Year Award, the Agatha Hodgins Award for outstanding nurse anesthesia students, and the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. In 2021 he was named a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.

Dunworth earned his bachelor of science in nursing, master of science in nursing in nurse anesthesia and doctor of nursing practice from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a master of business administration from Waynesburg University.

Vanderbilt School of Nursing announced plans to launch a nurse anesthesia program last year. The three-year program of study will be part of the school's esteemed doctor of nursing practice degree program. The nurse anesthesia program at Vanderbilt is currently pending review for initial accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, and no students may be enrolled in the program until initial accreditation has been awarded.

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