Nurse anesthetist at McLeod honored
Gail Weaver, director of Pee Dee AHEC and Stephanie Flowers, Health Professions Student Coordinator with Pee Dee AHEC, present the 2019 S.C. AHEC Preceptor of the Year Award to McLeod CRNA Kristen Cain. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
McLeod Regional Medical Center Certified Nurse Anesthetist Kristin Cain, DNAP, was presented with the 2019 S.C. AHEC Preceptor of the Year Award on Dec. 7. The purpose of this award is to bring recognition to the outstanding community-based preceptor serving South Carolina health profession students. S.C. AHEC (Area Health Education Center) is an organization that provides continuing education offerings to enrich the practice of healthcare professionals. Each year medical professionals volunteer their time to provide hours of clinical education to students from all health professions. Cain teaches Nurse Anesthetist students from both the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina on the campus at McLeod Regional Medical Center. Cain has been a volunteer preceptor on behalf of McLeod for the past three years. “Kristin is more than deserving of this award,” said Stephanie Flowers, Heath Profession Student Coordinator, with Pee Dee AHEC. “Her passion for teaching is evident from her previous experience as an Emergency Medical Technician preceptor, a youth camp counselor and a youth soccer coach. Kristen also speaks to and mentors local high school students who are in the work-based learning health science program. “Based on the evaluations and letters of support from her previous students, Kristin is supportive of her students and very effective at building confidence. Her students report leaving their rotations feeling well-prepared and more knowledgeable on various surgical techniques and cases – items crucial to their success as a Nurse Anesthetist,” added Flowers. Cain, an employee with McLeod since 2014, received her Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice from the Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, Va., and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia School of Nursing in Charlottesville. Annually the award receives nominations from each of the four AHEC regions throughout South Carolina. The award is then presented to one physician, dentist, pharmacist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or allied health professional who has been actively involved in precepting students. The award is normally scheduled to be presented in March for the previous year but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the selection committee were unable to meet until recently to select the recipient.
