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Laura McDonald, DNAP, CRNA

Laura McDonald portrait
Clinical Instructor, Nurse Anesthesia Education
lmcdonald6@kumc.edu

Professional Background

A University of Kansas alumna, Laura McDonald, DNAP, CRNA, returned to KU Medical Center in 2024 to serve as clinical instructor in the doctoral degree program in nurse anesthesia practice. In addition to classroom instruction, she mentors current students in the program, supervises anesthesia care in the hospital's operating room and provides written and verbal evaluation on their performance. She also assists with various university and department leadership projects and with outreach activities.

Prior to joining the KU faculty, McDonald served as a critical care registered nurse for the pediatric and cardiac intensive care unit at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. As a registered nurse in Madagascar during two separate stints from 20215 to 2017, she worked with a large humanitarian organization to provide health care at no cost to local communities. This included providing care of pre- and post-operative patients recovering from complex maxillofacial surgical procedures.

Her clinical career began as a registered nurse at The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany, Oklahoma (2011-2013).

Academic Background

McDonald earned a doctorate in nurse anesthesia practice from the University of Kansas in 2024. She previously received a bachelor's degree in nursing from College of the Ozarks (2011) and a diploma in tropical medicine from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (2016).

McDonald is a current member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.