Marcia Iszard has been a certified registered nurse anesthetist for 15 years and is in her second year as president of the South Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists (S.C.A.N.A.).
After earning both her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia and her Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice from the Medical University of South Carolina, she joined the School of Medicine Columbia as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience.
“I began as a staff CRNA, but I knew I wanted a leadership role and went back to school for my doctorate,” she said. “After three years as Chief CRNA at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, I transitioned into education, where I am now, shaping the future of nurse anesthesia.”
What inspired you to become a CRNA?
The earliest memory I have of seeing someone in a caretaker role is my grandmother taking care of our church’s pastor after shoulder surgery. As I grew up, I saw my mother care for elderly family members, and I naturally developed that caretaker gene. Once I was in nursing school, I followed a patient to the operating room and was first exposed to a nurse anesthetist. I was like, wow, who is this person and what are they doing? Nurse anesthesia is over 150 years old, making us the original administrators of anesthesia.

What advice would you give aspiring CRNAs?
Be intentional when setting goals and seek shadowing opportunities. Work in a high-acuity ICU for two to three years to develop and sharpen those critical thinking skills that are necessary to function professionally.
You mentioned that early in your career, it was difficult to find someone to relate to culturally. How did this influence your approach to your work today?
I prioritize having a welcoming environment. One day I was working in the operating room and the student I was with kept apologizing when I gave her feedback. We had a conversation, and she explained that it was a cultural thing. She saw me as a figure of authority and thought it was respectful to apologize even though she wasn’t doing anything wrong. I recognize that people come from different backgrounds, and I make sure that my environment is comfortable for everyone I encounter.
As an educator, what lessons or values do you aim to instill in your students?
A key value is critical thinking. When you're in an operating room, you need to be able to quickly analyze the situation and effectively treat your patient. Collaboration and communication are extremely important. If the patient is experiencing anything out of the ordinary, you need to be able to communicate with your surgeon and the whole patient care team.
How do you plan to expand the ranks of nurse anesthesia?
One initiative I’d like to institute at USC is introducing middle and high school students to the simulation area within the anesthesia program. I want to give them a hands-on opportunity to see how anesthesia is administered in an operating room. One way to bring people into this profession is early exposure, and it must happen before nursing school.
There are approximately 10,000 advanced practice registered nurses in South Carolina. Only 1,600 are CRNAs, and we’re all working towards separate goals. By building relationships, we can be more successful in reaching the ultimate goal: increasing access to and improving health care in South Carolina.
What is on your to-do list as president of SCANA?
My top priority is passing legislation to remove barriers to practice for CRNAS in South Carolina, which will ultimately increase access to care and allow facilities to have the flexibility to choose the anesthesia practice model that is best for their patients.
What would you like to see in the nurse anesthesia profession over the next decade?
I would like to see nursing anesthetists practice to their fullest scope in this state. Making sure they have clinical experiences exposing them to all types of anesthesia and that they can treat patients from preterm infants to the end of life.
We invest in their futures, and I want to ensure they are fully prepared by graduation to work in South Carolina.
One way to bring people into this profession is early exposure, and it must happen before nursing school.