Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Nurse Anesthesia Program in Belize.

Because of a critical shortage of anesthesia providers in Belize, the Belize Ministry of Health initiated support for the creation of a nurse anesthesia education program. Developed in collaboration with Health Volunteers Overseas and the University of Belize, the nurse anesthesia education program graduated 10 nurse anesthetists. This article describes the 24-month nurse anesthesia education program’s design, implementation, and evaluation. Challenges and opportunities experienced during the program are outlined as lessons learned for planning similar programs.