College of Nursing Faculty to Receive 2018 AANA Helen Lamb Award

Beth Ann Clayton, assistant professor of clinical nursing at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Nursing, director of the Nurse Anesthesia program, and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), is the winner of the 2018 Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). Clayton will receive the award on Sept. 25, 2018 during the AANA Annual Congress in Boston.

The Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award, established in 1980, is presented to a CRNA who has made a significant contribution to the education of nurse anesthetists. The award recognizes the individual’s commitment to the profession of nurse anesthesia and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesiology and result in high quality patient care.

"I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award,” says Clayton. "I have been extremely fortunate to be mentored by superior clinicians including nurse anesthetists, anesthesiologists, surgeons, obstetricians and nurses who strive for excellence in the delivery of care and the pursuit to improve patient outcomes. These colleagues have enhanced my knowledge and shaped the clinical education skills which are being recognized by this award.

Clayton’s UC teaching career started in 1996 and since then, Clayton has guided 50 graduate students a year to academic success and clinical excellence. In 2015, she became the CRNA program director, leading the master’s program transition to a clinical doctorate program, overseeing curriculum and faculty teaching for four didactic faculty and 60 clinical faculty at UC Medical Center, as well as 15 clinical coordinators at 10 clinical sites. During her tenure as the program director, the UC Nurse Anesthesia Program has climbed in the national ranks, including a No. 22 ranking in the 2016 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools: Nursing-Anesthesia.

"As a current student, I can attest to her profound knowledge base and engaging teaching strategies within the classroom,” says Gregory Barlion, the president of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia Class of 2018 at the UC College of Nursing. "Dr. Clayton is always willing to make herself available for struggling students and has a unique ability to explain information in an alternative, easily digestible manner.” 

Clayton is part of the 15-person AANA Closed Claims Research Team that analyzes closed malpractice claims against nurse anesthetists to identify possible points of intervention for quality improvement in maternal care, evaluate patient care and offer recommendations for improvement. Her work on that committee earned her the 2017 AANA Researcher of the Year Award. She has lectured nationally and published papers on the subject.