CRNA Program Director Stephanie Brogdon on Leadership, Advocacy, and the Future of Duke Nurse Anesthesia

Stephanie Brogdon, DNP, CRNA, who will serve as the new director for the nurse anesthesia DNP program, specializes in nurse anesthesia with a focus on trauma, obstetrics, and pediatric care. Her professional interests include advancing anesthesia education, simulation-based learning, and fostering clinical judgment in future nurse anesthetists. She previously served as Federal Political Director of the North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists, supporting advocacy efforts at the national level. 

As a Duke CRNA alumna, what does it mean to be part of the Duke community and now serve as program director?

This is truly a full circle moment for me, as I began not only my CRNA career but my entire nursing career at Duke in the ABSN program! 2026 marks the 20th year since I started my journey in this profession, and every time I reach a milestone in my career, I revisit the seminal work of Dr. Patricia Benner, “From Novice to Expert.” The Duke community of nurse scholars, educators, and practitioners has consistently nurtured my journey from novice to expert, and I am looking forward to playing that role in someone else’s journey now. 

How has your experience as a student, clinician, and educator prepared you for this leadership role?

Nurses are advocates, and advocates are leaders. As we enter practice and move from practical application of textbook knowledge to developing the deeper situational awareness of knowing our patients as people, nurses emanate a profound and abiding love and respect for humanity. Nurses are often described as having a transformational leadership style because we inspire trust, we work to create a shared vision for individual growth, and we understand and influence system-level health capacity. We learn to lead through our interactions with our patients and their families, as we employ civic and civil dialogue to champion our patients’ needs, and as we engage in best practice at the bedside, in board rooms and legislative offices, and in all places where decisions are made that impact the care our patients receive. 

What excites you most about the future of Duke's CRNA program?

Duke consistently attracts nurses who want to know more, be more, and do more. Our diversity of thought and experience combined with our academic excellence create an environment that is highly favorable to producing the future leaders of our profession. I’m most excited to see who our students will become—expert clinicians who utilize their DNP training to implement evidence-based practice at the bedside, educators who influence the direction of our profession, Chief Anesthetists and CNOs shaping health policy and management, and nurse scientists whose innovations power the future of health and healthcare. 

What do you believe makes the Duke CRNA program unique, and what is the "Duke Difference" for students?

The Duke CRNA program prides itself on providing the academic rigor and clinical experience necessary to create confident, autonomous providers. Our program is successful because of our outstanding, dedicated faculty who combine expert level knowledge and experience with individualized care for every student. The “Duke Difference” is embodied by our dedication to holistic mentorship, collaborative interdisciplinary academic culture, and purposeful community engagement. 

Writing about the “Duke Difference” for The Chronicle, Gabrielle Mollin said, “the difficult task of expanding your worldview will never be as easy as it can be here at Duke.” The environment provides the resources, the faculty provide the customized coaching and support, and the students provide the “distinctive culture of curiosity and care” necessary for authentic engagement. 

What are your top priorities as you begin this next chapter leading the program?

I look to the beauty of the Duke campus as a nice metaphor for our program. Visitors gaze at the historic, multicolored slate and detailed limestone arches and see a consistent picture of Gothic architecture. They don’t always appreciate that maintaining that vision requires caretakers to adapt older buildings to meet current standards as well as to plan growth to integrate new buildings into existing design. 

I’m thankful to be stepping into a space now that has been so well defined and carefully manicured by the previous program directors. Each one has made a distinctive but curated mark, embracing the good and facing the challenges of continued growth with grace and strength. My priorities align with theirs—producing skilled clinicians who lead in the field of anesthesia, and I also embrace the challenges unique to the next generation of the Duke University Nurse Anesthesia Program. I look forward to working with students and faculty to craft unique, usable solutions that continue to position our program at the leading edge of nurse anesthesia education and advocacy. 

What message would you like prospective students to hear about why Duke is the right place to pursue a career in nurse anesthesia?

Duke CRNA alumni exemplify DUSON’s core values of excellence, integrity, collaboration, respect, innovation, and diversity. Duke is the right place to pursue a career in nurse anesthesia if you seek to become an expert in practice, you contribute to the culture of inclusion and belonging, and you are looking to gain skills and knowledge to expand your impact on anesthesia care.