DIVERSITY CRNA iN Action
Inform, empower, and mentor
Inspired by Diversity
The Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3). We are committed to promoting and advancing diversity initiatives to mentor critical care nurses who want to successfully matriculate into graduate nurse anesthesia programs. Additionally, we guide and encourage CRNAs by providing ongoing professional development. We are an inclusive organization that actively mentors diverse registered nurses to increase the nurse anesthesia racial and ethnic representation of the 61,000 members of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists by more than 10 percent. CRNA’s who actively participate in any of our Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program events will be issued AANA Class A or Class B continuing educational credits.
Mission & Strategic Plan
The mission of the Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program is to inform, empower, and mentor underserved diverse populations with information to prepare them for a successful career in Nurse Anesthesia. We, (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists), fulfill our mission by providing annual information sessions/ luncheon programs; anesthesia airway workshops; sponsorships for minority nurse anesthesia students to the Annual AANA Conference; participating in area high school career days; visiting Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Hispanic Serving Institution Schools of Nursing; and, providing an annual graduation celebratory dinner for minority students completing nurse anesthesia programs.
LEADERSHIP
DNAMP Founder & CEO
2024 Recipient of the American Nurses Association Innovation Nurse-Led Team Award
2023 Chair, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee, American Academy of Nurses
2022 Recipient of the Edge Runner Award
for the Immersion Model for Diversifying Nurse Anesthesia Programs
2019 Recipient of the AANA Agatha Hodgins Award for Outstanding Accomplishment
2018 Recipient of the National Black Nurses Association Trailblazer Award
Wallena Gould, EdD, CRNA, FAANA, FADLN, FAAN is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer for the Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program and former Chief Nurse Anesthetist. For 18 years, this grassroots organization program has successfully mentored over 820 racially diverse critical care nurses into 92 out 130 graduate nurse anesthesia programs.
Dr. Gould was the lead consultant for a $1 million-dollar HRSA Workforce Diversity Grant for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Nurse Anesthesia Program. And, she served as AANA Chair of the Diversity Task Force from 2015 - 2016.
DNAMP Board President
Born to Honduran parents in New York City, Nathaly was aware very early that she had a knack for numbers and community activism. After graduating high school, Nathaly enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age 17.
After serving five years, Nathaly had a life-altering event that influenced her to pursue nursing. It was not till she became an operating room nurse that she ever heard the title of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She was intrigued and then became convinced that this career path was for her. She was accepted, then graduated to the now Augusta University Nurse Anesthesia Program in 2014.
She has been an independent contractor since 2016, having worked in over twenty facilities, including five Level 1 trauma centers.
Board of Directors
