Newswise — PARK RIDGE, Ill. (AANA)—Nina McLain, PhD, CRNA, has been appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP). McLain is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).

"I am honored to serve on the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice, and I thank HHS Secretary Becerra for the opportunity," said Dr. McLain, who practices at Neshoba General County Hospital in Philadelphia, Mississippi. "By providing accurate and comprehensive information regarding the educational and practice needs of nurses, we can help improve the quality of care patients receive.”

The NACNEP advises the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Congress on policy issues related to the administration of the activities under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act. Members of the council serve a four-year term, leading authorities in the various fields of nursing, nurse education, advanced practice nursing groups, hospitals, and other institutions and organizations that provide nursing services, as well as members of the general public and nursing students.

McLain is director at the University of Southern Mississippi Nurse Anesthesia Program in Hattiesburg. She is also certified in advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support.

Dr. McLain completed a master's degree in nurse anesthesia from Xavier University in New Orleans, La., and earned a doctorate in philosophy, anesthesia, at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. She has more than 25 years of experience in nurse anesthesia, including serving as the head of the anesthesia department at Meridian Surgery Center in Mississippi. She has done extensive research on novel drug development as well as dermatological applications.

As advanced practice nurses, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) have vast experience in critical care settings and advanced education and training in anesthesiology. CRNAs provide care across all settings and in all patient populations and are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural and underserved areas and on the battlefield in forward surgical teams.