Susan Caulk, CRNA, MA
Founding Board Member
Background
Susan Caulk joined the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) in 1977 as its first director of Continuing Education with responsibility for development, implementation and management of the AANA continuing education program and formation of the Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists.
She developed the recertification process which she implemented and managed until her retirement. Caulk also served as Director of Certification.
A recognized expert resource in the field of continuing education and credentialing, she successfully transitioned the paper and pencil National Certification Examination to computerized testing, a first within the nursing specialty profession. In addition, she served in various capacities with other credentialing agencies, including the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the American Board of Nursing Specialties.
Susan Caulk was the recipient of the 2006 Agatha Hodgins Award, the highest honor given by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Hodgins founded the AANA in 1931 and the award was established to recognize certified registered nurse anesthetists who had furthered the art and science of nurse anesthesia.
Throughout her career, Susan worked to defend and uphold the continuing education, credentialing and recertification standards of the AANA and Councils on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists.
She also advised member countries of the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists on issues concerning the implementation of continuing education and credentialing programs.
She has co-authored papers and articles on continuing education and credentialing.
She received both her master’s degree in nursing education and a bachelor’s degree in English and education from the University of Detroit. In addition, she earned her nursing diploma from the Henry Ford Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit, Michigan and a nurse anesthesia certificate from Wayne State University’s Program for Nurse Anesthetists in Detroit.
She was an instructor in the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions of the Department of Anesthesia at Wayne State University-Detroit General Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.