Nelson J. Aquino, DNP, MS, APRN, CRNA, FAANA
2026-2027 President-Elect, Chair of Governance Committee, Membership Committee, CRM Advisor, Mentor, Founder’s Club Member, Former Vice-President, Chair of Membership Committee 2023-2025
Dr. Nelson Aquino is a Pediatric Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and clinical leader with 16+ years of experience delivering pediatric and adult anesthesia in academic and community settings. He primarily works at Boston Children’s Hospital and on a per diem basis in adult practices, while maintaining a full clinical-academic practice. He also leads specialty programs and research initiatives that advance perioperative care. Dr. Aquino provides senior-level strategic and organizational guidance, including spearheading CRM implementation, providing academic insight, leading research, and mentoring to support FANAS’s mission, educational initiatives, and long-term organizational growth.
Dr. Aquino leads with a people-centered, evidence-driven approach grounded in collaboration, mentorship, and operational accountability. His proudest accomplishments include being recognized as the 2025 American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists (AANA) Foundation John Garde Researcher of the Year; induction into the 2025 class of Fellows of the AANA; founding and leadership of the Gender-Affirming Surgical Perioperative Program; directing multicenter clinical outcomes research through a national registry; supporting and elevating CRNAs, SRNAs, and other health care providers in the perioperative environment; and guiding teams through complex organizational challenges to advance clinical practice, creating lasting impact and sustainability in anesthesiology.
In 2010, Nelson was the first Seton Hall University’s College of Nursing Humanitarian Award recipient for his work in underserved countries. For future awardees, this accolade is named the Nelson Aquino Humanitarian Award. In his free time, Dr. Aquino served as an elected official on his Town’s Board of Health and is a professional actor.