Rachel Davis, D.N.P. ’13, M.S. ’08, CRNA, CHSE, is an associate professor of Anesthesiology and Health Professions, and the director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program – Nurse Anesthesia at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Davis obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Radford University in 2004. She began her nursing career as a critical care registered nurse in the Coronary Care Unit at Houston Methodist Hospital. In 2008, Dr. Davis obtained her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from Baylor College of Medicine. Upon graduation, Dr. Davis became a faculty CRNA, with a clinical appointment at Ben Taub General Hospital. In 2013, Dr. Davis obtained her Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree, and in 2014, she became the associate director of the DNP Program. Dr. Davis has dedicated her career to the education of nurse anesthesia students and has a remarkable record of accomplishment as a lecturer, course director, simulation educator and DNP Program leader. As director of the DNP Program, she is responsible for coordinating and providing administrative oversight for all aspects of the Program, including ensuring ongoing programmatic accreditation, negotiating clinical site affiliations, overseeing the didactic and clinical education of students, and mentoring faculty. Under her leadership, the Baylor DNP Program has grown to an enrollment of over 80 nurse anesthesia students, which is the largest enrollment in the program’s history.
Dr. Davis has served in numerous leadership roles at the school, institution, local and national level. She chaired the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Education Committee for two years, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. She has also been recognized for her contributions to nurse anesthesia education as the six-time recipient of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, a two-time recipient of the Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Award, a recipient of the Women of Excellence Award and as the 2022 AANA Didactic Instructor of the Year. In her fourteen years as a faculty member, Dr. Davis has given 15 invited lectures and presented over 10 posters at the state and national level. She has also mentored more than forty doctoral projects. She has provided hundreds of hours of instruction to Baylor nurse anesthesia students, including serving as course director for more than 105 courses. Her contributions as an educator and leader have sustained the Baylor Nurse Anesthesia Program as one of the top ranked programs in the country.
