Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists: The Evolution of the Global Roles (Advanced Practice in Nursing)

Dr. Sophia L. Thomas, APRN, DNP, MN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, is a Past President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP). She is a certified Family and Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) dedicated to providing and advocating for access to Primary Care to medically underserved families. Thomas practices at DePaul Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is a clinical preceptor. As a primary care provider, Thomas provides her patients with access to cost-effective, patient-centered care. She impacts NP education through publications and presentations on multiple clinical topics and lends her expertise as a legal expert witness on Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice and Standards of Care.As AANP President, Thomas concentrated efforts on providing NPs with policy and clinical information, on boosting direct member communications, enhancing continuing education offerings, and ensuring the organization was responsive to social and cultural needs. She initiated AANP position statements against racial and health disparities. Thomas serves on several advisory boards, including the Healthy Blue Louisiana Credentialing and Medical Advisory Committees, Prevention Magazine, and the Journal for Nurse Practitioners.  She has served the NP role in several elected and appointed positions within her home state of Louisiana as well as nationally. Thomas holds a doctoral degree in nursing practice from Loyola University, where she was honored with the Post-Master’s DNP Nightingale Award, and she has a master’s in nursing from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. In 2020, Thomas was chosen as one of Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.

Dr. Jackie Rowles, DNP, MBA, MA, CRNA, ANP-BC, NSPM-C, FNAP, FAANA, FAAN is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Board-Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner who is also board certified in Non-Surgical Pain Management. She is well-known leader and sought out speaker nationally and internationally. Rowles is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the Advanced Pain Management Fellowship in the Texas Christian University School of Nurse Anesthesia (Fort Worth, TX, USA). Currently serving in her fifth term as President of the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA), Rowles is a former president and interim executive director of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). Dr. Rowles is a co-editor, researcher, and multiple chapter author for the book The Global Voice for Nurse Anesthesia: International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (1989-2021). She was a catalyst and task force member for the 2021 publication of the International Council of Nurses Guidelines for Advanced Practice Nursing: Nurse Anesthetist. Rowles serves on the Ball State University College of Health Advisory Council (Muncie, IN, USA) and is the recipient of numerous leadership and service awards including the highest honors from the AANA and IFNA:  the Agatha Hodgins award for Outstanding Accomplishment, and the Hermi Lohnert award for Outstanding Global Accomplishment. In 2022 she received the AANA Foundation Rita L LeBlanc Philanthropist of the Year Award.