For David Bebee, becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist wasn’t about chasing a title. It was about finding his way back to patient care.
Bebee joined the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology in June 2023, bringing years of experience across intensive care and the operating room. Today, he practices as a CRNA at Nebraska Medicine, where he values the complexity of anesthesia care and the quiet responsibility that comes with it.
“I knew I wanted to be hands-on,” Bebee said. “At one point, I was managing people more than patients, and I realized that wasn’t what I wanted long term.”
Bebee’s path to anesthesia wasn’t straightforward. After earning his undergraduate nursing degree at Creighton University, he spent several years in the ICU before transitioning to circulating nurse roles in the operating room. While the work was meaningful, it was encouragement from a close friend and CRNA colleague that changed his trajectory.
“She saw something in me that I wasn’t fully acting on yet,” he said. “She told me, ‘You can do this.’”
That push led Bebee to apply to CRNA school at Bryan College of Health Sciences, where he began the program in 2020. Starting anesthesia education during the height of the pandemic brought challenges but also perspective.
“The first year was largely didactic and online, which helped,” he said. “By the time we got into clinical work, I really appreciated the range of cases we see here, from very sick cardiac patients to routine outpatient procedures.”
Bebee describes anesthesia as a constant problem-solving exercise, one where no two patients respond the same way, even under similar conditions.
“It’s like working through a complex equation where some of the variables keep changing,” he said. “You’re adjusting medications, depth of anesthesia, and anticipating what’s coming next, often before it’s obvious.”
He said that problem-solving is what drew him to the profession and is what continues to motivate him.
“Even on days that feel routine, the stakes are still high,” Bebee said. “You can’t afford to go on autopilot.”
While Bebee doesn’t currently see himself in formal leadership roles, he does find fulfillment in teaching through experience, particularly hands-on education with student registered nurse anesthetists.
“I believe stories help concepts stick,” he said. “If I can share a real situation and connect it back to what they’ve learned in textbooks, it makes the learning more meaningful.”
He credits UNMC’s academic environment for fostering that kind of growth, with regular exposure to quality improvement projects, research, and collaborative learning.
If Bebee could give his younger self one piece of advice, it would be to speak up sooner.
“There were times early on when something felt off, but I didn’t yet have the confidence to say it,” he said. “Finding your voice, trusting your knowledge and advocating for patients is critical.”
That lesson now shapes how he practices and how he supports learners.
Outside of work, Bebee’s life is full. He and his wife are raising four children, including a recently adopted infant. He recalls finding out about the adoption while at work and leaning on colleagues for support.
“Within a day, people had stepped in to help us get what we needed,” he said. “It meant a lot to feel that kind of community.”
That sense of shared purpose, he believes, extends beyond his unit.
“Even though UNMC is a large organization, there are small pockets of people really looking out for each other,” Bebee said.
For Bebee, CRNA Week is about visibility and understanding.
“It’s important for people to know what CRNAs do and what they’re capable of,” he said. “It shows how far a nursing career can go and how we contribute both independently and collaboratively to patient care.”
As health care systems continue to evolve, he sees CRNAs playing an increasingly vital role, especially in meeting patient needs across diverse settings.
“At the end of the day,” Bebee said, “this profession is about people supporting people. That’s what’s kept me here.”