Judy Thompson, clinical assistant professor of nursing and director of the nurse anesthesia program at Quinnipiac University, has been named the 2014 Program Director of the Year by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Thompson accepted the national award at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists’ Annual Congress Sept. 13-16 in Orlando, Fla.
“This is a national award, and the highest honor a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) program director can receive,” said Jean Lange, founding dean of the School of Nursing at Quinnipiac. “I can attest to how highly Judy Thompson is regarded by her peers nationwide. We are most fortunate to have her as the director of our new nurse anesthesia program.”
The Program Director of the Year Award, established in 1991, is presented to a CRNA who has made a significant contribution to the educational process of student nurse anesthetists. The award recognizes the commitment of individuals to the profession of nurse anesthesia and the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesiology and result in high quality patient care.
“It’s certainly an honor,” Thompson said. “I’ve been a nurse anesthetist for 35 years and a program director for 28 years. It has been the most rewarding experience of my professional life.”
Thompson has developed a new graduate nurse anesthesia program at Quinnipiac that started earlier this year.
The program, approved by the state of Connecticut and the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), offers two options: a full-time, three-year post-baccalaureate doctor of nursing practice (DNP) for registered nurses with critical care experience who wish to become nurse anesthetists and a part-time, 24-month option for certified registered nurse anesthetists with a current master’s degree who would like to earn the DNP.
Thompson previously worked at the Hospital of Saint Raphael School of Nurse Anesthesia, where she was director for 27 years.
Thompson received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Adelphi University, an associate degree in nursing from the University of Bridgeport and a certificate of anesthesia from the Hospital of Saint Raphael. She earned a master’s degree in biology from Southern Connecticut State University and has a doctorate degree in nurse anesthesia practice from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Thompson has worked at several hospitals in the state. She is presently on staff at Hartford Hospital and Yale-New Haven Hospital and was an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University for almost three decades.
Thompson and her husband Anthony Mucci, who is a chef at Yale University, have two grown children, Dr. Kaylan Mucci and Gregory Mucci.