Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

Today we’re continuing the conversation with Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA, on the history of CRNAs in the workforce. In part two, we’ll look at educational changes since 2010 along with the updated statistics on active professionals and students. We’ll also turn our attention to the future of anesthesia and discuss the trends that might be on the horizon.     Read more: http...

Over the past five decades, quite a bit of attention has been paid to the challenges facing the CRNA workforce, especially when numbers dropped significantly in the 80s and 90s. The lack of manpower pushed Congress, the AANA, and other organizations to study the reasons behind the lack of graduates and determine what solutions might exist. Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA, join...

More than 1,000 CRNAs work with the Veterans Health Administration and they can’t operate with full practice authority like their counterparts serving in every branch of the military. The Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists is working to change that despite significant pushback, and former president Diane Boettger, CRNA, joins the show to talk about her time on the board and the wor...

As more and more CRNAs are trying to find their place in the political setting, Jennifer Banek, CRNA found her own path to serving. In 2020, Banek was elected Coroner in Lake County, Illinois, and she’s currently holding that position alongside her job as a nurse anesthetist. She joins the show today to share her unique story and pull back the curtain on the campaign and election process for those...

If you want an eye-opening perspective on lobbying and what it takes to influence lawmakers, this will be an episode you don’t want to miss. Bob Guyer of The Lobby School gives us a master class on how to be successful in convincing legislators to align with your goals, which is essential for CRNAs as we continue to fight to protect our industry and our paycheck.   Get The Lobby School's free reso...

Few people in our profession represent what it means to be a CRNA more than Yana Krmic, MSN, CRNA, APRN. Born in Ukraine and raised in Siberia before moving to the United States 25 years ago, Krmic overcame many challenges to become a CRNA and eventually rise to the position of president of the New York State Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Her story is an inspiration to us all and one we’ll sh...

The healthcare industry has always depended on collaboration to advance medicine and improve care for patients. Much of that collaboration comes in the form of sharing findings from studies and research, which is what the Cochrane Network tries to compile into thorough and systemic reviews. By working with clinicians, policymakers, providers, and even CRNAs like Dru Riddle, PhD, DNP, CRNA, FAAN, C...

The fight to give CRNAs full practice authority continues in states across the country but there have been some important victories along the way. All you need to do is look to our military to find a model that many people would like to see across the profession as the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force have all removed restrictions on CRNAs. Today we’ll talk with Air Force Colonel Jan Setnor, MSN, CR...

The AANA Elections to appoint 2022-2023 board and elected committees will open on April 19 and members will have two weeks to cast their votes. We had the opportunity to go to the mid-year assembly in Washington D.C earlier this month and give candidates the chance to speak directly to you about their views and goals to help you make a more informed decision. Today you’ll hear from 13 CRNAs who wi...

As we approach another round of midterm elections, we wanted to introduce you to one of the few nurses around the country that hopes to represent her state in Congress. Renee Ellmers is running again in North Carolina after previously serving three terms and she’s doing so with the goal of improving access to healthcare in our country. We’ll also discuss why it matters to have nurses representing...

With the rise in methamphetamine use across the country, CRNAs need to be prepared to provide anesthesia to a substance use disorder patient. Jenny Krogh, CRNA, has noticed several misconceptions and conflicting management of patients who have used methamphetamines through her time working and researching. Today she joins us to explain the effects of methamphetamines on the body and clarifies some...

When planning for retirement, many CRNAs end up guessing at some of the most important questions. You’d never enter an operating room unprepared so why risk everyone you’ve worked so hard for throughout your career by not having a plan in place? Today we’ll get answers to these key financial questions so you don’t have to play the guessing game.   Read more: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com     Lea...

In November of 2021, the AANA lost a great man in Patrick Downey. This former president and patriarch of the Diamond Club served as a CRNA for more than 50 years and impacted many lives along the way. It’s fitting that this St. Patrick’s Day episode is a look back at his incredible life and the work he did for nurse anesthesia.    Read more: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com     Get the CE certifica...

Long hours and high stress is typically a recipe for poor health, which is why it’s always good to get a reminder to put ourselves and our bodies first. That can be difficult for CRNAs, who are trained to prioritize the needs of others. That’s why we wanted to bring on master nutritionist Donnell Carter, MBA, MS, CRNA to give us the information and motivation we need to take steps towards a health...

Forty years have passed since the Tax, Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) became law and this piece of federal legislation changed the way payment and reimbursement was tracked. Today we’ll look back on the history of TEFRA with Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA, to learn more about the reasons behind it, how the AANA responded, and what revisions have been made through...

Today we want to shine the advocacy spotlight on the work being done by CRNAs in Pennsylvania, who have helped drive some significant changes in their state. Laura Wiggins, DNP, CRNA and Jessica Poole, DNAP, CRNA are two of the nurses involved in shaping the legislation and they join us to share the details on what’s happening in the Keystone State and what it means for all of us in the profession...

Time is of the essence in the operating room, and it’s important that you’re able to track down the information you need as quickly as possible. Thanks to technology, this process is becoming much more efficient. Today we’ll introduce you to Matthew Willis, DNP, CRNA, the person who developed, coded and maintains the educational app Master Anesthesia. Find out how this app is changing the way nurs...

The history of the nurse anesthesia profession is a bit murky as records weren’t kept well through the years as medicine and healthcare progressed, but there are opinions on who the first anesthetist was. Today we’ll examine the most likely candidates with our historians Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA, and try to determine who can claim the title of the real first anesthetist....

It’s something outside people might never think about but ambient noise can have a direct impact on the health of CRNAs and the safety of the patients. Many people working in operating rooms don’t realize the effect that elevated noise levels can have and there might be different reasons for that. But we wanted to bring Marianne Cosgrove, CRNA, DNAP, APRN, PhD, onto the show to tell us more about...

Incivility and bullying can be found in all types of environments in our society and that’s unfortunately true with the academic and clinical settings for SRNAs. This can create an environment that interferes with a student’s ability to learn, ability to cope, relationships, health and well-being. Holly Chandler EdD, CRNA, conducted a study with students to learn more about the issues they're faci...

If you’ve ever considered being your own boss and building a business that can supplement or replace your CRNA income, there are paths out there that our peers are paving. One of those people is Mariann Trice, CRNA, ARNP, who transitioned to an independent practice after working more than 30 years in the medical field. Today she’ll tell us about her journey into entrepreneurship, the continuing ed...

Talking about money isn’t an easy thing for most people to do. That’s why conversations around CRNA contracts can get uncomfortable and eventually lead to deals that don’t provide the value or benefits that you want and deserve. That’s why we’ve invited Jon Appino, founder of Contract Diagnostics, to talk about the negotiation process and how to approach your next contract review.   Read more: htt...

Being a CRNA means caring for and about people and you won’t find many people that are better examples of that than Linda Moore, CRNA, BS. The former president of the NCANA has been in nursing for nearly 50 years, using much of that time on advocacy and volunteerism. Today she joins us to share that experience and help us understand why it’s so critical to nurse anesthesia.   Read more: https://be...

As we prepare to turn the page to the new year, it’s time to start thinking about our goals and laying out the resolutions we want to achieve in 2022. Sharon and Jeremy will take you through 22 life and money resolutions that will help you grow as a CRNA and put you on a path to financial freedom.   Read more: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/ep-161-22-life-money-resolutions-for-2022/3132/(opens i...

Our historical series wouldn’t be complete without an episode dedicated to the life and accomplishments of former AANA president Helen P Vos. What better way to truly understand her impact on the profession than by talking with two of her former students who were later mentored by Ms. Vos. Let’s welcome back Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA to the show to tell us about this spec...