From Induction to Instruction: Teaching, Testing, and Thriving in Nurse Anesthesia Education (1 MAC Ed CE)

From Induction to Instruction: Teaching, Testing, and Thriving in Nurse Anesthesia Education is an interactive session designed to support both new and experienced faculty in navigating the often-overlooked challenges of academic life. While nurse anesthesia educators bring invaluable clinical expertise, many step into teaching roles with limited training in pedagogy, curriculum design, or assessment. This session bridges that gap with practical strategies rooted in both best practices and lived experience.
Through the lens of constructive alignment, participants will explore how intentional connections between course objectives, teaching strategies, and assessments can transform learning outcomes. The session then moves into assessment design, offering hands-on guidance for writing valid, clinically relevant exam questions that reflect appropriate cognitive complexity. A user-friendly introduction to psychometrics follows, demystifying key concepts like difficulty index and discrimination so faculty can interpret item analysis data and apply it to course improvement.
Throughout, attendees will engage in collaborative activities, including real-time review of sample test items, to practice applying new knowledge in a supportive setting.
What makes this session unique is its facilitation team: a junior faculty member and recent program graduate, a senior educator with NBCRNA item-writing experience, and a program director with curriculum leadership expertise. Their diverse perspectives underscore the session’s message that strong academic programs are built on shared insight, mentorship, and a culture of collaboration.
Attendees will leave with tools, renewed confidence in their educator identity, and a deeper appreciation for the power of working together to elevate both teaching and student success.