University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Program

10/25/2026

💜🧡 UE DNAP had a great showing at the Indiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists Fall Conference at the beautiful French Lick Resort!

From the podium to the poster sessions, our students and faculty represented the University of Evansville with pride. Program Director Dr. Melissa Eisenhauer presented alongside fellow CRNA colleagues, and three of our senior students—Sophia Glasgow, Kristina Taylor, and Lindsey Weatherholt—shared their doctoral project, “Improving Clinical Preparedness with the SRNA Clinical Guide.”

Our students also showcased their scholarly work through poster presentations and joined CRNAs and fellow students to learn, connect, and strengthen their involvement in our profession.

We are especially proud to see our students stepping into the role of professional colleagues—sharing their knowledge, contributing ideas, and helping shape the future of nurse anesthesia. Watching their growth is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do!

Thank you, INANA, for bringing our anesthesia community together and providing opportunities for the next generation of CRNAs to shine! 💜🧡

10/06/2026

What an incredible opportunity for our NA1 students today!

We were honored to welcome Tracy Young, President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), virtually to the University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Program.

Tracy spent time with our first-year nurse anesthesia residents discussing topics that extend well beyond the classroom - anesthesia staffing models, billing and reimbursement, the business of anesthesia, and the changing landscape of our profession. Just as importantly, he shared practical advice and some great pearls of wisdom about building a successful, fulfilling career as a CRNA.

One of our goals at UE is to prepare our students not only to become excellent anesthesia providers, but also to understand the profession they are entering. Clinical knowledge and technical skill matter tremendously - but so do understanding the business of anesthesia, recognizing the forces shaping healthcare, advocating for our profession, and learning how to build a career that is both successful and sustainable.

There is something pretty special about our NA1 students, still early in their journey to becoming CRNAs, having the opportunity to learn directly from the President of the AANA about where the profession is today and where it is headed.

A huge thank you to Tracy for taking the time to invest in our students, share his experience, answer their questions, and remind them what an incredible profession they are preparing to join.

These are the opportunities that help turn anesthesia students into future CRNA professionals and leaders. 💜🧡

09/24/2026

Full circle moments. Hands-on learning. And a whole lot of UE Nurse Anesthesia pride! 💜🧡

Today is an incredible day in the UE Nurse Anesthesia lab as our students have the opportunity to learn regional anesthesia from Dr. Nagornay and Dr. Spitzner! From identifying anatomy with ultrasound to developing the skills necessary for safe and effective regional anesthesia, our students are spending the morning learning, scanning, and putting their knowledge into practice.

One of the things we are especially proud of is having Dr. Spitzner back at UE as a member of our faculty! A graduate of our very FIRST nurse anesthesia cohort, Dr. Spitzner returned to the program in August, bringing his clinical expertise and passion for teaching back to the place where his nurse anesthesia journey began. There is something incredibly rewarding about watching our graduates grow into accomplished professionals and then return to help educate the next generation of CRNAs. We are so proud of Dr. Spitzner and grateful to have him as part of our team!

A huge thank you to our UE nursing students who volunteered to serve as scanning models! Your willingness to participate provided our nurse anesthesia students with valuable opportunities to practice ultrasound anatomy identification on real people. We love seeing our nursing programs come together to support one another's learning!

And finally, a VERY special thank you to FUJIFILM Sonosite for generously providing TWO ultrasound units for our students to use for three weeks while we await delivery of the new ultrasound system our program has purchased! Access to quality ultrasound technology is essential to preparing our students for contemporary anesthesia practice, and we are incredibly grateful for Sonosite's support of our educational mission.

Days like today represent everything we are working to build at UE Nurse Anesthesia: exceptional hands-on education, meaningful collaboration, investment in advanced technology, and a growing network of alumni who continue to give back to the program that helped launch their careers.

From our first cohort to our future CRNAs, the UE Nurse Anesthesia family just keeps getting stronger!

09/14/2026

Fun evening for a great cause with my University of Evansville people! Grateful to be part of a University that supports our clinical partners and our health sciences programs!

09/08/2026

CRNAs, SRNAs/RRNAs, RNs….come follow along! Our clinical partners are some of the most important players in our ability to educate future CRNAs! Helping develop stronger preceptors is our goal at Pinnacle Preceptor Academy!

Hey, hey! We hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! Let’s get back to it!

Preceptors, we want to know: what's the ONE piece of advice you wish someone had given you before your first learner? 💭

Drop it in the comments — we might feature the best ones in a future post. 👇

(And if you're a student or resident reading this: what's the best thing a preceptor ever did for you? We want to hear that too.)

Don’t be shy - we want to hear from you!

09/08/2026

🌯 DINNER PLANS = SOLVED! 🌯

Join us for a Chipotle Giveback Night supporting the University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Student Board! 🧡💜

📅 Saturday, September 12
⏰ 4:00–8:00 PM
📍 Chipotle – 4710 W. Lloyd Expressway, Evansville

Chipotle will donate 25% of event sales back to our Nurse Anesthesia Student Board — so grab dinner, support our students, and help us make a difference! 🎓🩺

Ordering online? Use code AH7TCEK for pickup.
Dining in? Just show the fundraiser flyer when you order.

Come hungry and help us turn burritos, bowls, and tacos into support for our future CRNAs! 🌯➡️🩺

We’d love to see our UE family, alumni, clinical partners, friends, and community there!

09/07/2026

Your path to becoming a CRNA could start right here. 💜🧡

The University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Program is accepting applications for our January 2028 DNAP cohort!

At UE, we’re committed to developing more than excellent anesthesia providers. We prepare clinicians, leaders, advocates, and lifelong learners through rigorous academics, immersive simulation, diverse clinical experiences, and a program culture built around student success.

Our outcomes speak for themselves—and we’re excited to see what the next generation will accomplish.

If you’re ready for the challenge, we’re ready to meet you.

📍 Evansville, Indiana
🎓 Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)
📲 Scan the QR code to learn more and apply.

Come see why UE.

08/30/2026

Some of you know I (lovingly referred to by my students as Dr. E. ☺️) co-founded Pinnacle Preceptor Academy with Richard Wilson a while back — training built specifically for clinical preceptors in nurse anesthesia, because nobody ever actually taught us how to teach. We were just handed a student and told "good luck." 🏔️

Starting this week, we're kicking off a whole new series on our page — real, practical, no-fluff content for preceptors, pulled straight from years of precepting, program directing, and (a lot of) trial and error. This is the stuff we wish someone had handed us on day one.

If you're a preceptor, a CRNA, a program director, or you just want to watch two people share something they genuinely care about — come follow along. We are getting real about what it means to truly train the next generation of CRNAs, and I don't want you to miss it. 💙💛

👉 Follow Pinnacle Preceptor Academy on Facebook and Instagram — first post of the series drops this week!

08/26/2026

🚨 Future CRNAs—your time is NOW!

If nurse anesthesia is where you see your future, don’t just think about it. START.

Applications are open for the University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Program’s January 2028 cohort, and there’s an advantage to getting started early.

🟣 Priority Application Deadline: December 31, 2026
🟠 Every completed priority application earns a bonus point on the application score
🟣 Regular application cycle continues through March 15, 2027

We’re looking for driven critical care nurses who are ready to be challenged, grow as clinicians and leaders, and take the next step toward becoming a CRNA.

Your future in nurse anesthesia has to start somewhere. Why not UE?

Apply today: evansville.edu/majors/nurse-anesthesia-program

08/23/2026

Student involvement beyond the classroom is at the heart of the UE Nurse Anesthesia Program, and the 2026 AANA Annual Congress in Boston has been a great reminder of why those experiences matter!

It was a quick weekend in Boston for me, but our students are staying through the end and taking full advantage of everything Annual Congress has to offer. We are especially proud of NA1s Emilie Getts and Heidi Fantasia, who are beginning a year of national service on the AANA Continuing Education Committee and Government Relations Committee. What an incredible opportunity to learn, contribute, build relationships, and represent UE Nurse Anesthesia on the national stage!

It was also a memorable weekend for program leadership. Dr. Eisenhauer assumed the role of Vice-Chair of the AANA Government Relations Committee and was inducted as a Fellow of the AANA during last night’s Honors Ceremony.

From our students stepping into national service to faculty leadership within the profession, UE Nurse Anesthesia is here, growing, and thriving.

Come see what we’re all about. 💜🧡