William A. Edwards, DNP, APN-A, CRNA, PMH-BC, an Advanced Practice Nurse, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse
Get to know Nurse Anesthetist William A. Edwards, who serves patients in Brick Township, New Jersey.
William is an advanced practice nurse, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, and a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse serving patients throughout New Jersey in multiple locations. He provides anesthesia, pain management, and critical care services and is competent in procedures such as spinals, epidurals, central lines, arterial lines, intubations, ventilator management, and nerve blocks.
Motivated at the start of each day by knowing that he is available to help and leave people a little bit better than how he encountered them, he strives to make a difference in the lives of his patients by being human. He smiles, engages with them, and is authentically real with them.
“Before surgeries, I acknowledge their nervousness. I have even given hugs before giving anesthesia as well as doing the same at the bedside when I worked in the ICU. In our busy lives and with our laundry list of tasks, I think we forget that there is a whole world that is living and ever present within our patients. A world of thoughts, feelings, concerns, relationships, etc. I honor that and try to integrate it into my care” expressed William.
Based on a gut feeling, he chose nursing. This, coupled with always wanting to help people, made it worthwhile to start his nursing journey.
Graduating with his high school diploma from Manchester Township High School in 2004, he earned his Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree from Ocean County College in 2009. He then went on to obtain his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Kean University in 2014, and his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Thomas Jefferson University in 2020.
Regarding his background in nursing, William is experienced in psychiatric / mental health, emergency department, cardiothoracic ICU, pediatric ICU, trauma / surgical ICU, medical ICU, neuro ICU, and wound care.
“I attribute my success to staying objective and being in flow with life. I don’t try to avoid situations, I embrace change and challenges, and I have always tried to learn from situations I found myself in. I follow my gut/intuition and what feels right at the right moment. I believe The Universe sometimes nudges us along and by going with the flow and staying open, I found success. And of course, studying longer hours than most and quite a bit of elbow grease helped” he stated.
Among his professional affiliations, William is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the American Nurses Association, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (on the Board of Trustees), and the Diversity Nurse Mentorship Program.
His research interests include anesthesia, pain management, depression management, substance abuse, and genomics. He has also participated in a number of medical/surgical missions, including one in Haiti and one in Ecuador.
An Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is a nurse with postgraduate education in nursing. APNs are prepared with advanced didactic and clinical education, knowledge, skills, and scope of practice in nursing. Nurses practicing at this level may work in either a specialist or generalist capacity.
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) plays a crucial role in the success of a variety of medical procedures. They work in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other professionals to ensure the safe administration of anesthesia.
A Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse (PMH-BC) works with individuals, families, groups, and communities, assessing their mental health needs. The PMH nurse develops a nursing diagnosis and plan of care, implements the nursing process, and evaluates it for effectiveness.
Honoring his academic and clinical expertise, William is the recipient of Caring Heart Award – Demonstrating Passion for Nursing During Clinical Rotations – Ocean County College – 2009; Teresa Birmingham Nursing Leadership Award – Promoting Excellence in Nursing Leadership – Monmouth Medical Center – 2012; Spirit of Nursing Award – Exemplifying Nature of Nursing – Kean University – 2014; Sigma Theta Tau Undergraduate Induction – Magna Cum Laude – 2015; Sigma Theta Tau Graduate Induction – Summa Cum Laude – 2020; and Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society – Sigma Delta Rho Leadership Award – Thomas Jefferson University – 2020.
On a more personal note, William was born in Toms River, New Jersey. He enjoys traveling the world, having visited 26 countries and counting, as well as reading, meditating, and dancing. He is open to all genres of music, and has interests in self-development, betterment of humankind, animals of all kinds, travel, and cultures.
When asked who he would like to meet, he answered “Nelson Mandela, Oprah, Trevor Noah, Marie Forleo, and MLK.”
Learn More about William A. Edwards:
Through his online profile, https://todaysnurse.org/network/index.php?do=/4147588/info/
