Laura Lee Wiggins

Laura L. Wiggins, DNP, CRNA (Lt. Col –retired) is one of the OB Clinical Coordinators for the University of Pittsburgh Nurse Anesthesia Program.  She is the former Chief Nurse Executive for the 911th Aeromedical Staging Squadron where she retired from the USAF after 25 years of service.  Wiggins deployed as a CRNA/ Critical Care Air Transport Team in support of OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, OPERATION RESOLUTE SUPPORT, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE.  She was identified as “Key Personnel for the USAF Reserves”, which is the top 3% of the USAFR Officer Corps.  Wiggins has over 24 years of clinical anesthesia experience and has served in numerous leadership roles including the director of anesthesia services with specialties including labor and delivery and regional anesthesia. Wiggins is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, a former part-time military simulation instructor, and the Immediate Past President of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She also serves on the Continuing Education Committee for the AANA.  She was instrumental in advocating for the CRNA title recognition in the Keystone State which was finally achieved in 2022.  She is heavily involved in DNP research projects and speaks nationally for several Nurse Anesthesia Programs. 

Wiggins earned her BSN from The Pennsylvania State University in 1994, a MSN from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2003, and a DNP from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017.  She was awarded the 2022 American Association of Nurse Anesthetist’s Daniel D. Vigness Federal Political Director Award for her advocacy efforts for CRNAs during the COVID global pandemic.