By Erica Techo
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Assistant Professor Bryan Wilbanks, PhD, DNP, FAANA, CRNA (DNP 2012, PhD 2016) is advancing nurse anesthesia and nursing through his work with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
Wilbanks, a nurse anesthetist with more than 20 years of clinical experience, will serve on the AANA Foundation Board of Trustees and participate in the AANA Foundation health policy research training program.
In this role on the Board of Trustees, Wilbanks will work to support the AANA Foundation’s mission to advance the science of anesthesia through education and research and by supporting nurse anesthetists.
“One of the goals of the AANA Foundation is to support new and seasoned investigators in nurse anesthesia through grants, fellowships and post-doctoral fellowships,” Wilbanks said. “My goal will be to support the AANA Foundation strategic missions through assisting with day-to-day operations which includes such things as fundraising to support research & education, evaluating grant submissions, and making recommendations to the AANA board of directors.”
Wilbanks is an active member of AANA and has served as a reviewer for grants, fellows selection committee and consultant. He has also worked on many studies and aims to expand his skillset through the health policy research training program.
“The health policy research training program builds on my previous research experiences and will improve my expertise. The additional training will allow me to obtain larger funding and expand my career while supporting my profession,” Wilbanks said.
As an end product of the training program, Wilbanks will produce several publications and submit an official grant.
“My first grant that results from the health policy research training will explore the role production pressure has on patient safety, morbidity and mortality,” he said. “The outcomes of this study will be used to develop policies and procedures to help guide evidence-based clinical practices. I will continue on this track of research to provide the evidence to guide future anesthesia related clinical practices.”
Membership in AANA has opened many opportunities to Wilbanks, and becoming further involved through the AANA Foundation provides an opportunity to further impact nurse anesthesia.
“The AANA has made an enormous difference in my personal career. They have supported my personal research related to improving perioperative outcomes,” Wilbanks said. “They also allow me to make a huge impact on anesthesia related to patient care at the national level. I would recommend others to volunteer to support the AANA Foundation with any talents or gifts they may have. The foundation allows me to make sustained contributions to my profession and it gives me a lot of personal satisfaction.”
Wilbanks was named an inaugural AANA Fellow in 2021 and previously received the John F. Garde Researcher of the Year Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the practice of anesthesia through research.