Program Director of the Year Award Presented to Aimee Badeaux

Rosemont, Ill. (AANA) – The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) presented nurse anesthesiologist Aimee Badeaux, PhD, CRNA, APRN, CNE, with the Program Director of the Year Award during its 2024 Annual Congress, August 2-6, in San Diego. 

The Program Director of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) who has made a significant contribution as a program director to the educational process of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs). The award recognizes the individual’s commitment to the profession of nurse anesthesiology and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesiology and result in high-quality patient care. 

As the inaugural program director of the first nurse anesthesia program in northern Louisiana, Badeaux is a champion of the interests of both faculty and students. She was instrumental in the development of Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s (NSU) Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program. From the initial program development to admission and eventual graduation of the first student cohort, Badeaux is known to exhibit a tireless work ethic and exemplified a spirit of compassion and collegiality that has made her an invaluable resource to the university, her students, and the CRNA profession. 

As NSU’s Director of Doctoral Studies, Badeaux demonstrated innovative leadership and a profound passion for educating, leading, and serving. Her clear insight and guiding vision solidified her as the core of NSU’s program, earning her the Educator of the Year award for the 2021-2022 academic year. Beyond spearheading program development initiatives and acquiring program accreditation, she also obtained grant funding to develop a state-of-the-art simulation lab, off-set student tuition costs, support faculty development, and provide stipends to provide housing for SRNAs completing clinical hours in rural settings.  

“I am humbled and honored to have been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Program Director of the Year Award,” said Badeaux. “My work as a program director is driven by a desire to make a difference, to contribute to our field, and to positively impact nurse anesthesia education. I am fortunate to have achieved this through the support of my mentors, colleagues, and family. I am eternally grateful to every student nurse anesthetist who has entrusted their education to me and allowed me to be a part of their journey to become a CRNA.” 

According to her nomination, although Badeaux wears many hats, her students always come first. She worked tirelessly to establish 25 nurse anesthesia clinical sites that focus on full-scope of practice opportunities and CRNA-only practice models in rural Louisiana– her work has given her a reputation of producing the best nurse anesthetists in the region. A business owner who employs over 1,000 CRNAs across several states writes, “The quality of students and CRNAs that Dr. Badeaux send into the marketplace is exemplary,” and notes that Badeaux’s students consistently excel beyond their peers. 

As a testimonial to her unwavering dedication as a mentor as well as program director, a program graduate writes, “Without a single doubt, Dr. Badeaux was the reason I succeeded as a DNP-NA student… Dr. Badeaux was my support, the one who motivated me, and the one who refused to let me believe that I would not make it.” 

Beyond her responsibilities as NSU’s nurse anesthesia program director, Badeaux is a practicing CRNA at several Louisiana clinics and medical centers. She also serves on AANA’s State Organization Development Committee, acts as the Team Onsite Reviewer for the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), and is an active member on both the Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists (LANA) and the Louisiana Council of Administrators of Nursing Education (LaCANE). 

Badeaux obtained her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University. She also earned a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia degree from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.