Brief Bio

Karen Ricker is currently an assistant professor of nursing and clinical education coordinator for the Nurse Anesthesia Specialty. Since 1994 she has worked as a clinical certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) faculty member and nurse anesthesia faculty member and administrator. She is also a registered respiratory therapist. Her previous clinical positions have included working as a CRNA and clinical preceptor at Davis Ambulatory Surgical Center and as a CRNA at UNC Hospitals. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro School of Nursing and as director of clinical education and research for the Raleigh School of Nurse Anesthesia.

Her research interests include treating obstructive sleep apnea in outpatient settings, productivity and its impact on anesthesia care, use of the simulation lab in teaching critical incidence to student-registered nurse anesthetists (SRNA), and education of SRNA clinical preceptors using the novice-to-expert theory. Ricker earned an AD in respiratory therapy at Durham Technicl College and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in nursing from UNC-Greensboro. She received nurse anesthetist certification at the Raleigh School of Nurse Anesthesia.

Academic Program Affiliations

Master of Science in Nursing Program

Education

MSN	University of North Carolina at Greensboro
BSN	University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Professional Certifications

CRNA	Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
RRT	Registered Respiratory Therapist

Research Interests

Research interests include:
obstructive sleep apnea in outpatient settings,
productivity and its impact on anesthesia care,
use of the simulation lab in teaching critical incidence to SRNAs,
and education of SRNA clinical preceptors using the novice to expert theory.

Clinical Interests

Karen Ricker practiced as a CRNA in community and university hospitals between 1993 and 1999. As a member of the Raleigh School of Nurse Anesthesia faculty 1994-1998), she provided clinical instruction to students 2-3 days/week, as well as weekly classroom instruction. From 1999-2009, she practiced as CRNA/staff and served as a clinical Preceptor at Davis Ambulatory Surgical Center, an outpatient facility of the Duke University Health System).

Awards and Honors

Areas of Expertise

• Anesthesia
• Nursing Education

Representative Publications

• 2008 -- Ricker, K. F. Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Educations Series: Learning Continuum for the Duke student and preceptor. 2008;

• 2004 -- Ricker, K. F. Respiratory disease. In Nurse Anesthesia Secrets, edited by M. Karlet 2004; pp. 175-190. : .

Grant Funding (selected)

• Nurse Anesthesia Program Rural CRNA Initiative  
  Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA)
  1D09-HP14644-01-00
  07/2009-06/2012
  Role: Project faculty
  Project Goal: The purpose of this project is to increase the number of Masters prepared Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNAs) practicing in rural, medically underserved areas of North Carolina by developing and implementing a distance learning component to our existing Nurse Anesthesia Program and by partnering with our existing hospital based clinical sites in rural / medically underserved areas to identify, recruit and enroll qualified nurses in the distance learning option.