By Sarah Morgan Johnson
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing alumna Lisa Lucas CRNA, DNP (DNP 2013), has received the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology's 38th Annual Alice Magaw Outstanding Clinical Anesthesia Practitioner Award. The award is given to a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist who has made outstanding contributions to nurse anesthesiology and direct patient care. Lucas was recognized at the AANA 2024 Annual Congress in San Diego in August.
“This award is an incredible honor. Being recognized by my peers and professional organization is humbling to say the least. There are so many incredible CRNAs both at the local and national levels. I am proud to be part of such an outstanding profession and of my role in serving America's heroes within the Veterans Health Administration,” Lucas said.
Lucas w orks as the Chief CRNA for the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Chief CRNA consultant for Veteran’s Integrated Service Network 9. She notes that her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the School specifically prepared her for this role.
“My time at UAB allowed me to understand evidence-based practice and gave me a seat at the table to make decisions at the local and national levels. A big part of my job is to chair doctoral research for others, and my DNP degree taught me how to read and understand research and to comply with the institutional review boards,” Lucas said.
Lucas has spent her entire CRNA career at the Memphis VAMC. While her role has evolved from when she joined their staff in 2008, her passion for serving veterans has been her motivator throughout.
“Throughout the roles I have held, I have maintained academic appointments, published research and become a VA innovator, introducing the CRNA go bag for airway rescue that is used in other VA facilities. I have been a VA CRNA for 16 years and plan to serve the Veterans within the VA until I retire. My primary focus is on process improvement, not becoming complacent and always looking for ways to personalize and improve patient care,” Lucas said.
