Maria Ledbetter's nursing career began in 1984 when she graduated from Western Kentucky University and moved to Nashville to work in the ICU, where she was first exposed to nurse anesthesia. She joined Anesthesia Medical Group in 1988 as a registered nurse and later became a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Her primary practice area is obstetric anesthesia, where she witnesses God's miracle of creation daily.

Ledbetter returned to school to earn her doctorate due to her love of learning. She was introduced to the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing when she had nurse anesthesia students at her clinical practice site. She was impressed by their professionalism and preparation. However, it wasn't until her husband and son visited Samford on a college tour that she began to learn more about the university. From there, God took over. As she researched the university, she became increasingly impressed. During a visit to Samford’s website, she saw an opening for an instructor in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia and applied. As they say, the rest is history.

Ledbetter hopes to train the next generation of anesthesia providers to be caring, compassionate professionals who love learning. She is married to Bill and has two sons, Will and Wesley.

Degrees and Certifications

DNAP, Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia
MS, in nurse anesthesia, Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia
BSN, Western Kentucky University
ADN, Western Kentucky University
CRNA, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
APRN, Alabama and Tennessee Board of Nursing
BLS, ACLS, PALS, American Heart Association
CITI, Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative
QM Peer Reviewer-Higher Education, Quality Matters
COI, QM online certification

Awards and Honors

• Sigma Theta Tau, Kappa Theta and Gamma Eta Chapters
• Charles Roy Martin Scholarship, Western Kentucky University
• Received full QM certification for course designed and developed for Samford University Nurse Anesthesia Program - 2019

Involvement/Professional Societies

• American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
• Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists
• Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists
• National League for Nursing
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• Kappa Delta Sorority
• Thrive Wellness Initiative Co-Coordinator/Founder
• Fellowship of Interprofessional Development at Samford (FINDS)
• Samford’s Online Advisory Committee, 2019
• Samford University Faith and Learning Initiative Task Force, 2022-2023
• Faculty Mentor Undergraduate Computer Science Students 2022 & 2023
• Samford Faculty Senator, 2022-2025
• Faculty Development MSSON Vice-Chair 2022-2024

Recent Publications 

• Snow A, Ledbetter M, Greenway MB. Thriving Together: An Innovative Approach to Cultivating Wellness, Emotional Health, and Lifelong Success in Graduate Nursing Students. Nurs Educ Perspect. 2024;45(5):327-329. doi:10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001304
• Clark B, Dechant T, Easterling M, et al. Co-existing isolated internal iliac artery aneurysm and solitary kidney: a cadaveric case study. J Cadaver Stud Ant Var. 2024;5(1):29-36. doi:https://doi.org/10.61797/ijcsav.v5i1.306
• Scogin, W. M., Sanford, D., Greenway, M. B., Ledbetter, M., & Washmuth, N. B. (2023). The influence of body painting on L4 spinous process palpation accuracy in novice palpators. J Manip Ther, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2023.2278264

Recent Presentations

• Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists Podium Presentations 2025: Silent Witness or Advocate: The CRNA’s Responsibility in Addressing Sex Trafficking.  When Relief Falls Short: Managing the “Eh-pidural” and Transition to Spinal for Cesarean Delivery.
• AANA Foundation State of the Science General Poster Session, AANA Assembly of Didactic and Clinical Educators, Austin, TX-Poster Presentation-The Thrive Initiative: A Description of a Collaborative Program to Support Wellness in Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists. 2023
• AACN-2020 Doctoral Education Conference: Podium presentation: Middle-Range Theory Uniting Practice and Scholarship
• AANA-2019 Assembly of Didactic and Clinical Educators Conference-poster presentation
• Samford University Faculty Success Collaborative-QM Certification Process
• TANA-Guest Speaker -Factors Associated with Post-Dural Puncture Headaches in Obstetric Patients

Research

• Ledbetter, M. (2016) Factors Associated with a Decreased Incidence and Severity of Post-Dural Puncture Headache (PDPH) in Obstetric Patients: A Protocol Development. Unpublished project. Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, Nashville, TN.

• Ledbetter, M. (2020) Evidence-Based Neuraxial Adjuvants in Labor Analgesia Infusions: Dexmedetomidine vs Fentanyl. Unpublished project, Samford University.

• Ledbetter ML, Snow A, Yoakum R, Kendrick T. Wellness in Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists through Innovative Hybrid Program. 2020-present.

• Ledbetter M, Cropp C. (2022) Nurse Anesthesia Student Perceptions of a Pharmacogenomics Learning Activity. Unpublished project. Samford University.

• Ledbetter M, Snow A. (2024) Human Sex Trafficking: An Overlooked Consideration for Nurse Anesthesia Education and Practice. Unpublished project. Samford University.

Expertise 

• Neuraxial and obstetric anesthesia
• Online Education
• Course Design