Education

Dr. Crystal Hunnicutt is a native of Southwest Virginia and resides in Big Stone Gap. Dr. Hunnicutt received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2002 from the University of Virginia's College at Wise. She received her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia and Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007 and 2010, respectively.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

After graduating from VCU's Nurse Anesthesia program in 2007, Dr. Hunnicutt began her practice as a CRNA at Lonesome Pine in rural Southwest Virginia. She maintains her clinical practice as a staff CRNA at Hazard ARH and Tri-cities Gastroenterology.

In 2013, she joined the faculty of Lincoln Memorial University and became the assistant director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program. In 2016, she was promoted to program director and served in this position until January 2025. She recently joined the faculty at VCU and serves as Director of Southwest Operations.

Committees and Organizations

Dr. Hunnicutt is active in many regional, state, and national professional organizations. She is currently serving as the Chair the Wellness Committee for the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists and as a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesia's Health and Wellness Committee. She serves on the editorial boards for both the International Student Journal of Nurse Anesthesia and the Journal of Nurse Anesthesia Education. On the national level, she has served as a scholarship reviewer for the AANA Foundation and has served on the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetist Item Writing Committee. She serves as an on-site reviewer for the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs and as the vice president for the Tennessee Professional Peer Assistance Program.

Scholarship and Research Interests

Dr. Hunnicut is interested in wellness topics related to nurse anesthesia and has presented on topics such as domestic violence, perioperative loss, and suicide prevention in CRNAs. She is currently exploring the concept of the Second Victim as it relates to the certified registered nurse anesthetist.