LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing’s own Laura Bonanno, PhD, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN was presented with the 46^th Annual Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award by The American Association or Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) during its 2025 Annual Congress in August 2025 in Nashville.

The Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award, established in 1980, is presented to a CRNA, also known as a nurse anesthetist, who has made a significant contribution to nurse anesthesia education. 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.

“Recognized for the qualities that distinguished the work of Helen Lamb, Laura Bonanno is an innovative leader in nurse anesthesia education,” her nomination said. “Not only is she a prolific scholar, funded researcher, sought-after speaker, and long-standing program administrator, but she has served the nurse anesthesiology profession in numerous leadership capacities, including as president and vice-president of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). She chaired and/or served several key committees and task forces including COA Standards and Policies and Procedures, Evaluation and the White Paper on Scholarly Work, the AANA Full Scope of Practice Competency Task Force, Faculty Stabilization Task Force, and the AANA Foundation Abstract Revision Task Force. Dr. Bonanno also was a leader in the development and implementation of the COA Common Clinical Assessment Tool and her expertise, and content generation was crucial in creating AANA Educator Edge, a continuing education platform specifically designed for CRNAs.”

Dr. Bonanno is a tenured Professor of Nursing at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University; a Master of Science from Charity Hospital/Xavier University School of Nurse Anesthesiology; a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis; and a PhD in Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans.

Dr. Bonanno has been the program director for the Nurse Anesthesia Program at LSU Health New Orleans since 2007. Among the honors she has received are the Louisiana Nurses Foundation Nightingale Advanced Practice Nurse of the year, American Association

of Nurse Anesthesiology Fellow, American Academy of Nursing Fellow and Daisy Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has been recognized by the National Scholar Honor Society, Golden Key International Honor Society, and Phi Kappa Honor Society and named one of the Great 100 Nurses of Louisiana.

“I am so honored to follow in Helen Lamb’s footsteps and continue her tradition of training nurse anesthetists through impactful teaching, mentorship and leadership. Receiving the Helen Lamb Award is truly one of the greatest honors of my career. I am deeply humbled and incredibly grateful to the AANA for this prestigious recognition,” said Dr. Bonanno of the award. “I am grateful to be part of a profession that values education, teamwork, and the future of nurse anesthesiology.”

“Dr. Bonanno’s commitment to the Nurse Anesthesiology is evident in the work she does to educate and serve, not only at LSU Health, but through her professional associations,” says Dr. Demetrius Porche, Dean of LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. “This honor is a testament to her tremendous contributions to the nursing profession.

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About LSU Health New Orleans
LSU Health New Orleans educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public School of Public Health and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment   and cure disease.