Newswise — PARK RIDGE, Ill. (AANA)The Washington Post recently selected Ladan Eshkevari, PhD, CRNA, LAc., FAAN, as a 2020 Star NurseTM. Eshkevari, a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), is an associate professor at the Georgetown University Medical Center’s School of Nursing & Health Studies in Washington, DC.

"I am honored to be selected as 2020 Star Nurse finalist and I thank my colleagues for nominating me," said Eshkevari. "As a member of one of the most trusted professions in the United States, I am committed to helping my patients receive the high-quality care for the best possible outcomes.”

The Washington Post and the American Nurses Association (ANA) partnered to present 2020 Star Nurses, a new nurse-recognition event that honors patient, consumer, and peer-nominated nurses who work in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. It is part of the World Health Organization’s year-long Year of the Nurse and Midwife celebration to highlight nurses’ vital position in transforming healthcare. Eshkevari was one of 92 finalists selected from hundreds of nominees. Six Nightingale Award winners will be selected from the finalists and announced in September.

"The AANA is proud that one of our members, Dr. Eshkevari, was chosen by her peers in the ANA for this prestigious honor," said AANA President Kate Jansky, MHS, CRNA, APRN, USA LTC (ret). "CRNAs provide care across all settings and in all patient populations and as advanced practice registered nurses with expertise in airway and ventilation management and critical care, many are on the frontlines during the COVID-19."

Eshkevari completed a master's degree in nurse anesthesia from Columbia University in New York and earned a doctorate in physiology and biophysics at Georgetown. She has more than 25 years of experience in nurse anesthesia, including serving as program director of the Georgetown University Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Program. Eshkevari received a diplomate in acupuncture from the Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Bethesda and has done extensive research on incorporating acupuncture into both care and medical curriculum.

Eshkevari serves as chair of the AANA Foundation Board of Trustees. She was also co-chair of the Education Committee of the District of Columbia Board of Nursing and is a member of its Advanced Practice Nurse Advisory Board.  In this capacity, Eshkevari wrote new graduate education regulations as it relates to practice and education of all levels of nursing, interface with various Board and Department of Health members to resolve regulatory issues. Nationally, serve as chair on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of the AANA. Eshkevari was recently inducted as a Fellow in the prestigious National Academy of Nursing.   

As advanced practice nurses, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are among the most trusted professions according to Gallup. CRNAs provide anesthesia care across all settings and in all patient populations and are the primary anesthesia providers in rural and underserved areas and on the battlefield in forward surgical teams.