Brent Dunworth, DNP, MBA, CRNA, NEA-BC, FAANA, joined Vanderbilt University School of Nursing on Nov. 1 as director of its new nurse anesthesia program, slated to launch in 2026. He has a joint appointment as VUSN associate professor of nursing and with the School of Medicine as associate professor of clinical anesthesiology.
Dunworth most recently was the associate nurse executive of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center鈥檚 Office of Advanced Practice, where he led VUMC鈥檚 more than 1,600 certified registered nurse anesthetists , nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and physician assistants. Dunworth has 25 years鈥� experience as a CRNA and more than two decades as an educator.
鈥淔inding the right leader to develop and lead Vanderbilt鈥檚 new nurse anesthesia program was crucial,鈥� said School of Nursing Dean Pamela Jeffries, PhD, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH. 鈥淭he new director will be charged with developing curriculum, hiring faculty, working with clinical partners, handling administration and, of course, teaching. Brent鈥檚 clinical and academic experience and relationships with VUMC will allow him to hit the ground running. We can鈥檛 wait to have him on board.鈥�
Warren Sandberg, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and chief of staff for Vanderbilt University Hospital, said Dunworth鈥檚 organizational and academic capability will be well utilized in VUSN鈥檚 new program.
鈥淒uring his time in the Department of Anesthesiology, and subsequently as the VUMC advanced practice leader, he really did some groundbreaking work. For example, he established a labor productivity standard for APPs [advanced practice providers] working in the inpatient space,鈥� Sandberg said, noting that Dunworth also initiated projects to ensure complex services could provide homogeneous APP coverage by pooling resources. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to bring that kind of organizational capability to the School of Nursing CRNA program, which is exactly what is needed for a startup in a highly regulated space,鈥� Sandberg said. 鈥淏rent also has fantastic skills at interdigitating APPs and physician trainees. The two groups are highly dependent on one another, and Brent has always led in this space. It鈥檚 fitting that he should now lead CRNA education, too.鈥�
One key aspect of Vanderbilt鈥檚 future nurse anesthesia program is that students will obtain their clinical training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dunworth鈥檚 VUMC experience will be valuable for both organizations.
鈥淒r. Dunworth is truly an outstanding clinical educator, appreciative of modern pedagogy and evolving practice trends. He has a proven commitment to training tomorrow鈥檚 CRNAs to the very highest performance standards, while providing an unparalleled depth and range of clinical exposure at sites across the VUMC enterprise,鈥� said Brian Gelfand, MD, vice chair for educational affairs and associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. 鈥淚n his new role, Dr. Dunworth鈥檚 vision and guidance will establish VUSN program graduates as the recognized future leaders in academic nurse anesthesia in our nation.鈥�
Dunworth said he鈥檚 looking forward to a full-time career in academics. 鈥淭he opportunity to serve as the inaugural program director for the nurse anesthesia program at VUSN will be a true career highlight. The opportunity to utilize my clinical practice experience, teaching and leadership skills to create a world-class nurse anesthesia educational program is a true honor,鈥� Dunworth said. 鈥淭he resources and support of both the university and the medical center have set the stage for a truly remarkable educational experience for our future students. The VU and VUMC partnership will serve the need to address the growing need for nurse anesthetists across our country.鈥�
The demand for nurse anesthetists is expected to grow as an aging population requires more surgical procedures and preventive care. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, CRNAs make up more than half of the anesthesia workforce in the country, providing more than 50 million anesthetics each year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 40 percent growth in demand for CRNAs by 2032.
Dunworth joined VUMC in 2015 as director of Advanced Practice in Anesthesiology and chief nurse anesthetist. Under his leadership, VUMC鈥檚 CRNA team grew by more than 50 percent, with CRNAs now providing care 24 hours a day, seven days per week across the VUMC enterprise.
Before arriving at VUMC, Dunworth was the senior director for nurse anesthesia at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In that role, he directed anesthesia patient care for 16 hospitals and led more than 450 CRNAs. He also served as faculty at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and Waynesburg University College of Nursing.
Previously, Dunworth held a primary faculty appointment in the School of Medicine as an assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology and a secondary appointment at VUSN as an assistant professor of nursing. He serves as faculty at the Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, adjunct assistant professor of nurse anesthesia at the University of Pittsburgh, and on the advisory committee for the anesthesia technology program at Columbia State Community College.
His scholarly interests include health care education, respiratory compromise, technology in anesthesia, evidence-based practice, and clinical leadership and management. He has presented internationally, nationally and regionally, and is a reviewer for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Journal as well as a member of the editorial board for the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. He serves on the board and clinical advisory committee of the Respiratory Compromise Institute, a national interprofessional organization committed to reducing the incidence of respiratory compromise.
Among his honors are the Nevin Downs, MD Leadership Award from the Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists鈥� Didactic Instructor of the Year Award, the Agatha Hodgins Award for outstanding nurse anesthesia students, and the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. In 2021 he was named a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.
Dunworth earned his bachelor of science in nursing, master of science in nursing in nurse anesthesia and doctor of nursing practice from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a master of business administration from Waynesburg University.
Vanderbilt School of Nursing announced plans to launch a nurse anesthesia program last year. The three-year program of study will be part of the school鈥檚 esteemed doctor of nursing practice degree program. The nurse anesthesia program at Vanderbilt is currently pending review for initial accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, and no students may be enrolled in the program until initial accreditation has been awarded.