Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

How do we make the next generation of CRNAs better than the previous generation? This is the question that led today’s guest, Richard Wilson, DNAP, CRNA, to get involved in education and provide leadership training mentorship for the next group of CRNAs so they have the ability to take the profession to another level. Join us today as we talk about the importance of mentorship, how to be a success...

We’re excited to get the opportunity to sit down with someone who holds an incredibly unique position in our industry. Jorge Valdés, DNP, CRNA, APRN, FAANA, is the rare trifecta of a male nurse, minority and a CRNA in the dean’s chair at Florida International University. His rise from starting as a CRNA 21 years ago to becoming the head of a nursing school was not the path he anticipated, but Dr....

An amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) remains one of the most devastating conditions in obstetric practice. In today’s episode, Sass and Jeremy review the pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and management of this rare, but lethal condition. Included in the management of an AFE is the administration of a trio of medications known as A-OK (Atropine, Ondansetron, and Ketorolac). If you want to brush up...

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a nurse who’s impacted her state like our guest today has done in North Carolina. Gale Adcock is serving her term in the NC Senate after eight years in the NC House and seven years on her local town council. Those 16 years in office have given her a seat at the table and she’s used it to provide nurses across the state with an advocate to speak on their behalf. Today...

Today we are going to discuss the uncertainties surrounding healthcare restructuring and why it’s critical for anesthesia to play an influential role moving forward. We’re excited to do that with guest host Angela Mund, DNP, CRNA, and Kevin Smith, MBA, CRNA, MSN, APRN of North American Partners in Anesthesia. We’ll have a roundtable discussion about where the anesthesia profession is headed and ho...

This is a super fun episode where we welcome Mark Gabot, DNP, CRNA, FAANA on the show as a cohost. Mark and Jeremy presented at the 2023 AANA Annual Congress in Seattle and recorded this episode at the same time. Jeremy and Mark talk about how we think during a crisis, the unconscious biases that exist and they focus on a cognitive template for crisis management that can help formulate a working d...

Today we’re going to turn our attention back to the financial side of our CRNA discussions and focus on the issues that can creep into a marriage when it comes to money. That’s something many couples will argue over so we want to make sure you’re addressing the minefields that might test any marriage.   Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: Why it’s important for you to know how your par...

Sacrifice is part of the job when you’re a nurse. We all understand that comes with the territory. But there’s an even greater level of sacrifice for those who try to be advocates and leaders within the profession. Today we’re joined a gain by guest host Tracy Castleman, DNP, CRNA, APN-A, FAANA, and Yana Krmic, MSN, CRNA, APRN to discuss the obstacles we’ve all faced throughout our careers. We exp...

We all have the current requirement to take the CPC Assessment for recertification, and many of our colleagues are asking us “How can I prepare?”. In an effort to help get our CRNA nation in the mode of answering questions… Jeremy and Sass are going to start doing occasional question and answer episodes. In this episode they go over respiratory and cardiac physiology questions. This will bring you...

Our guest today has quite the story to tell about advocacy but it’s not the same advocacy we normally discuss on the show. Maureen McCartney Anderson, CRNA has been in-volved with her state association in New Jersey for a number of years and was on the path of advocating for professional rights, but that changed dramatically when her baby was born with handicaps. Now she’s pouring much of her ener...

Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) is rapidly gaining recognition for its effectiveness in alleviating acute and chronic pain, as well as anxiety. When we heard Angel Jaap, CRNA speak about this at the AANA Spring Symposium, we wanted to bring her on to learn more about this alternative therapy. You’ll understand why she wants more nurses to learn this protocol after you hear some of the applications a...

Caring for surgical patients who have an associated penicillin allergy is relatively common. Should we avoid cefazolin (Ancef) in these patients? In this episode, Jeremy and Sass look at current and past evidence to uncover the truth about the relationship between penicillin and Ancef. This episode will get you thinking about the antibiotics you administer in your anesthesia practice.   Here are s...

Have you ever been caught off guard when asked to explain who you are or what’s important to you? That's a conundrum our guest Julie Gauderman, MS, DNAP, APRN, CNRA is here to help you navigate. Together with co-host Tracy Castleman, DNP, CRNA, APN-A, FAANA, we dive into the concept of an elevator speech, how to craft it, and why it’s an effective way to confidently represent your profession and c...

It has been more than a decade since Paul Santoro, CRNA, MS, served as the president of the AANA, but his impact on the organization can still be seen today. In this installment of our Courage to Lead series, we were finally able to catch up with Paul to talk about a busy year at the AANA, which included the new Affordable Care Act, time spent on the elimination of physician supervision under Part...

Earlier this week, the AANA presented a new initiative called Rm8 to members in a business meeting with Bill Bruce. As you can imagine, there are a lot of questions so we wanted to go to the source and get as many answers as we could for you. Board members Tracy Young, CRNA, MBA and Jeff Molter, MSN, MBA, CRNA sat down with us at the AANA Annual Congress in Seattle to explain the new innovation la...

Have you ever managed an airway with both a video-laryngoscope and a flexible intubating (fiberoptic) scope? Wait…what??? Yep, in this episode Jeremy and Sass talk about an evolving airway management technique that utilizes both devices to help secure difficult airways. They call it VIFI!   Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show: What is VIFI and how does it work? What are the advan...

Today we welcome in two more guests as part of our doctoral series, and we're looking forward to talking with Annie Brademeyer, CRNA and Amanda Janssen, CRNA about their recent study:  “Does inserting peripheral nerve catheters over the needle decrease leaking from its insertion site?” Join us as we review their work and find out what they learned about a surprisingly controversial topic.   Here a...

The rate of cannabis use has exploded exponentially in the past 10 years and the widespread consumption demands us to be knowledgeable on the topic. Dr. Daniel King, CRNA, has become a dedicated subject matter expert in cannabis implications for anesthesia patients after taking an interest in the issues he was observing in his day-to-day practice. Today he’ll help educate us on the subject, the di...

Awake tracheal intubation is a procedure that many of us rarely perform. In this episode, Jeremy and Sass focus on the indications for awake intubation.   They talk about the 2022 ASA Difficult Airway Algorithm portion that focuses on awake intubation, as well as the process and considerations for performing it. Take a listen and help demystify this infrequent (but important) airway management tec...

We’re back with another great interview from our trip to the mid-year assembly in Washington D.C. as Sharon and Tracy Castleman, DNP, CRNA, APN-A, FAANA got to sit down with Taylor Rehfeldt, CRNA, and Sydney Davis, CRNA. You might remember them from episode 111, and we have been excited to catch back up with these two state representatives to find out what they’ve learned about advocacy and politi...

The healthcare industry is at a crossroads financially as Americans struggle to cover medical costs and profits soar following the COVID pandemic. The push for change is getting louder every day, and one of the strongest voices is coming from North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell. He describes the issue as ‘the cartelization of healthcare’ and has outlined four significant changes that he wa...

Cricothyrotomy is what’s known as a High Acuity Low Occurrence (HALO) procedure. Meaning anesthesia providers do not often perform this procedure, but when the clinical situation calls for a cricothyrotomy…it can be extremely stressful! In this episode, Jeremy reviews the anatomy of the larynx, talks about preparation for the procedure itself, and then goes over a surgical cricothyrotomy technique...

We're excited to share that Beyond The Mask has been recognized in the 18th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards. We're nominated in two prestigious categories: the coveted 'People's Choice Award' and 'Best Healthcare Podcast.' We're asking you to vote for us in the People's Choice Podcast Awards. Your vote not only helps us win but also spreads the word about our mission to demystify our corner...

We're excited to share that Beyond The Mask has been recognized in the 18th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards. We're nominated in two prestigious categories: the coveted 'People's Choice Award' and 'Best Healthcare Podcast.' We're asking you to vote for us in the People's Choice Podcast Awards. Your vote not only helps us win but also spreads the word about our mission to demystify our corner...

Even though awake intubations are rare, this procedure is still relevant. In fact, this is an anesthesia airway management technique that continues to be recommended for known difficult airways in every single difficult airway algorithm. In this episode, Jeremy and Sass talk about a specific technique for anesthetizing the airway they call “TOPICAL THUNDER” in preparation for an awake intubation....