Who was the first editor of the AANA?

• A. Agatha Hodgins
• B. Mary Bernard
• C. Gertrude Fife
• D. Virginia S. Thatcher

Answer: (C)

The first editor plays a crucial role in shaping how a professional group communicates, what topics are prioritized, and how quality and standards are perceived across the field. For the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the inaugural editor helped establish the publication as a credible home for practice guidance, research, and professional norms, setting the tone and editorial standards that guided early scholarship and discourse among practitioners.

Gertrude Fife held that pioneering role, guiding the early issues, defining editorial policies, and helping the organization’s publication gain legitimacy and voice. Her leadership laid the groundwork for how nurse anesthesia knowledge would be shared, critiqued, and built upon by subsequent generations. The other individuals listed are notable figures in related contexts, but historical records identify Gertrude Fife as the first editor of the AANA’s publication.