When twins Blake and Lucas Rawls reported for their first shift as certified registered nurse anesthetists in June 2025 at McBride Orthopedic Hospital in Oklahoma City, it marked more than just the start of their careers.
They were walking in the footsteps of their father, Robert Rawls, who has spent more than three decades in nurse anesthesia and now works side by side with his sons in the same hospital.
“To have them join me as fully fledged doctors that first shift together — it was surreal,” said Robert. “We are all passionate about anesthesia. Discussing cases with them has been amazing.”
Blake and Lucas earned their Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degrees as members of the inaugural Newman DNAP class in Wichita, Kansas. The milestone marks the culmination of a 24-year nonstop educational journey — one that began with undergraduate degrees in medical humanities from Baylor University, followed by a fast-track nursing program at Oklahoma City University and finally, the DNAP at Newman.
“We’ve never taken a semester off,” Lucas said. “It’s just been school, school, school our entire lives. Graduating is that final, ‘Hey, congratulations to yourself. You’ve worked hard. You deserve this. Now it’s time to go enjoy the rest of life.’”
Blake echoed the sentiment.
“This is the stamp. It’s a terminal degree, so I don’t have to worry about going back to school anymore,” he said. “At the ripe age of 29, we’re very happy to be done with all the schoolwork. Now the gates have opened to what we want to do with our lives, and we’re very excited for it.”
A program that fit their path
Before starting the DNAP program, Blake worked in the trauma intensive care unit and Lucas in the cardiac center at Oklahoma Medical Hospital. Their interest in Newman was sparked after seeing Newman Master of Nurse Anesthesia students in clinical settings in Oklahoma.
“Fortunately for us, we got a lot of hands-on experience with Newman students coming through the clinical spot in Oklahoma City,” Blake said. “That raised our interest in the (new doctoral program), and Newman seemed like the best fit.”
Lucas added that the program’s small class size allowed for personalized instruction and meaningful mentorship.
“You get to know your teachers really, really well. They’re always willing to help you out and get to know you on a personal level,” he said. “That’s probably one of Newman’s greatest qualities.”
Robert has a unique connection to Newman as well. In 2006, he helped establish McBride Orthopedic Hospital as a clinical site for Newman students through a partnership initiated when he served as president of the Oklahoma Association for Nurse Anesthetists. He met then-Newman director of the nurse anesthesia program Sharon Neiman at a national meeting and worked to bring the collaboration to life.
“To see them go through Newman’s program is obviously very special,” Robert said.
Inaugural class, lasting impact
As part of Newman’s first DNAP cohort, the Rawls brothers knew they were helping shape the program’s future.
“It’s crazy setting the blueprint for all the underclassmen coming up behind us,” Lucas said. “It’s been such a great experience, and I’m super excited to call myself Dr. Rawls.”
Blake added that the program not only prepared them clinically but also opened up doors for future academic work.
“If we ever want to get into the academic world and teach students the wisdom we’ve learned along the way, we can now do that,” he said.
Both brothers expressed deep gratitude to their professors, including Director of the DNAP Program Kimyatta Brent, who stepped into a leadership role partway through their studies.
“She had a big plate to tackle and did a great job,” Lucas said. “We’ve had some awesome, awesome teachers. We can’t thank them enough. They’ve helped us get to this point.”
A ‘dream come true’
Working alongside their father became a goal as the twins advanced in their training. Now, that dream is reality.
“Our father kind of led us through this path into nurse anesthesia, and now we get to come out and all three of us work together every single day,” Blake said. “It’s a dream come true. I can’t think of a more surreal feeling than that first day working together.”
Lucas agreed: “I second that.”
With Blake and Lucas joining the profession, they are now the seventh and eighth certified registered nurse anesthetists in their extended family.
“Of course, I’m very proud of them,” Robert said. “They’ve put the work in to get where they are.”
Celebrating together
With graduation behind them and careers ahead, the brothers are excited to take some time to celebrate.
“We’re both married and our wives are pretty much best friends with each other,” Blake said. “We’re going to take them on a vacation to let them know we appreciate them for supporting us along the way.”
And to any nurses considering nurse anesthesia, the twins have some words to live by.
“You can do it,” Blake said. “No is not an option. If you want to do nurse anesthesia, you can do it.”
Learn more about Newman’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program
Prepare for this advanced practice nursing role in the delivery of safe and evidence-based anesthesia care at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas.
