NATCHITOCHES, La., Aug. 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Aimee Badeaux,
interim dean of Northwestern State
University's College of Nursing and School of Allied Health,
has been selected by the board of the directors of the American
Association of Nurse Anesthesiology as the organization's 32nd
annual Program Director of the Year. Badeaux is the first person in
Louisiana to receive the award.
The award was presented Aug. 3 at the
AANA annual congress opening ceremony in San Diego.
The Program Director of the Year Award was established in 1991
to recognize a CRNA who has made a significant contribution as a
program director to the educational process of resident nurse
anesthesiologists. The award recognizes the individual's commitment
to the profession of nurse anesthesia and to the advancement of
educational standards that further the art and science of
anesthesiology and result in high-quality patient care.
As the inaugural program director of the first nurse anesthesia
program in north Louisiana,
Badeaux is a champion of the interests of both faculty and
students. She was instrumental in the development of NSU's Doctor
of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program. From the
initial program development to admission and eventual graduation of
the first student cohort, Badeaux is known to exhibit a tireless
work ethic and exemplified a spirit of compassion and collegiality
that has made her an invaluable resource to the university, her
students and the CRNA profession.
Badeaux has consistently demonstrated innovative leadership and
a profound passion for educating, leading and serving. She was
among faculty to earn an Excellence in Teaching Award from NSU in
2022. Beyond spearheading program development initiatives and
acquiring program accreditation, she also obtained grant funding to
develop a state-of-the-art simulation lab, off-set student tuition
costs, support faculty development and provide housing stipends for
SRNAs completing clinical hours in rural settings.
"I am humbled and honored to have been selected as the 2024
recipient of the Program Director of the Year Award," said Badeaux.
"My work as a program director is driven by a desire to make a
difference, to contribute to our field and to positively impact
nurse anesthesia education. I am fortunate to have achieved this
through the support of my mentors, colleagues and family. I am
eternally grateful to every student nurse anesthetist who has
entrusted their education to me and allowed me to be a part of
their journey to become a CRNA."
According to her nomination, Badeaux wears many hats, but her
students always come first. She worked tirelessly to establish 25
nurse anesthesia clinical sites that focus on full-scope of
practice opportunities and CRNA-only practice models in rural
Louisiana. Her work has given her
a reputation of producing the best nurse anesthetists in the
region. A business owner who employs over 1,000 CRNAs across
several states wrote, "The quality of students and CRNAs that Dr.
Badeaux sends into the marketplace is exemplary," and noted that
Badeaux's students consistently excel beyond their peers.
As a testimonial to her dedication as a mentor as well as
program director, a program graduate wrote, "Without a single
doubt, Dr. Badeaux was the reason I succeeded as a DNP-NA student…
Dr. Badeaux was my support, the one who motivated me, and the one
who refused to let me believe that I would not make it."
Beyond her responsibilities as NSU's nurse anesthesia program
director, Badeaux is a practicing CRNA at several Louisiana clinics and medical centers. She
also serves on AANA's State Organization Development Committee,
acts as the Team Onsite Reviewer for the Council on Accreditation
of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), and is an active
member on both the Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists
(LANA) and the Louisiana Council of Administrators of Nursing
Education (LaCANE).
Badeaux obtained her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from
Louisiana State University. She also
earned a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia degree from
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge and a Bachelor of Science in
Nursing from Louisiana State University Health
Sciences Center.
Information on NSU's College of Nursing and School of Allied
Health is available at https://www.nsula.edu/nursing/.
Leah Jackson
(jacksonl@nsula.edu)
Director of Public Information and Media Relations
Northwestern State University
(318) 357-4553
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SOURCE Northwestern State
University