Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

Oral airways have looked basically the same for nearly a century despite dramatic changes in patient populations, sedation practices, and monitoring standards. What if a simple design change could bring significant improvements to safety and efficacy? In this episode, CRNA John Brown and entrepreneur Jason Keen of Arete Medical Devices share the story behind a newly designed oral airway that aims...

Incivility doesn’t always announce itself loudly—it often creeps in quietly, becoming normalized in high-stress clinical environments. In this episode, Lynn and Garry are joined by leadership veteran Meri Gilman-Mays, CRNA, DNP to continue a candid conversation on addressing incivility in nurse anesthesia. Part two of this conversation shifts from recognizing incivility to actively addressing it t...

Representation in nurse anesthesia is about access, excellence, and belonging. It’s the responsibility of every CRNA to help shape the future of the profession in a way that affords opportunity and access to anyone who wants to pursue that goal. In this episode, hosts Nicolas and Kelsey are joined by two influential leaders in nurse anesthesia advocacy, Lena Gould, EdD, CRNA, FADLN, FAANA, FAAN an...

From the very beginning of nurse anesthesia, opposition was organized, strategic, and relentless. Two central figures who devoted their careers to making anesthesia a physician-only specialty in the United States in the early 1900s were Frank and Laurette McMechan. Today, we’ll examine their lives and professional impact in this historical episode with our show historians Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA...

Accreditation can feel overwhelming, but when done well, it’s not a once-every-ten-years scramble. Dr. Angie Mund joins us this week to help reframe accreditation as an ongoing leadership practice that shapes program culture, faculty development, and student outcomes. Drawing on decades of experience as a program director, department chair, and national leader, Dr. Mund explains what’s usually tru...

Artificial Intelligence has become much more than a buzzword. It’s transforming industries as it rapidly evolves, and the big question for CRNAs is what does this mean for anesthesia providers? Sharon and guest co-host Larry Sears, CRNA sit down with CRNA educator and technology thought leader Richard Wilson, DNPA, CRNA, FAANA to explore how AI is quietly reshaping perioperative care, education, a...

Workplace culture in anesthesia doesn’t just live in policies or mission statements, it shows up in hallways, handoffs, and yes, even the lounge. In Part I of this conversation, Lynn and Garry welcome guest Meri Gilman-Mays, CRNA, DNP, for an honest, thoughtful conversation about incivility in the perioperative environment and how it quietly shapes the daily experiences of nurse anesthetists. Part...

Applying to CRNA school can feel overwhelming—stats, GPAs, ICU experience, GRE scores, interviews, and endless comparisons to peers and strangers alike. It’s easy to talk yourself out of applying (or reapplying) so today we’re going to back the curtain on the application process and share our real, unfiltered journeys to CRNA school. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: 📄 What the CRNA...

More CRNAs are stepping beyond the operating room and building something entirely new, and this episode dives into what that transition truly looks like. Today, we’re sitting down with Joshua Olson DNP, CRNA, CRNA educator, and co-creator of the Ollivate app , a gamified learning platform designed to help CRNAs earn CEs and residents prepare for boards in a calmer, more effective way. Want to know...

As we kick off the new year, all four hosts are back for a discussion that every nurse anesthesia program will face at some point. We’re sitting down together for a candid, experience-driven conversation about what accreditation really looks like from the inside, whether you’re a program director, faculty member, or educator preparing for your first review. Drawing from multiple accreditation cycl...

Today we’re honoring the life, leadership, and lasting influence of Betty Horton, PhD, CRNA, FAAN, a woman whose impact on nurse anesthesia education spans generations. With her passing on December 27, 2025, we wanted to revisit the conversation we had with her five years prior about the evolution of education and accreditation in nurse anesthesia, something that she cared about tremendously. This...

In this episode of Anesthesia Alchemy: Lynn & Garry Unplugged, Garry dives deep into the science and strategy behind Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy (GDFT), moving beyond dogma to deliberate, physiology-driven decision-making. Our guest, Richard Wilson, traces the evolution of perioperative fluid management from liberal “fill-the-tank” approaches to modern, data-informed strategies that respect th...

Season two of Grade 1 View begins with a transition featuring new voices, new perspectives, and the same commitment to honesty, community, and growth. As we hand off the torch to a new group of future CRNAs, founding host Olivia Conn, RN, DNP introduces the new host team: Nicolas Alexander, BSN, SCRN, CCRN; Levi Davis, BSN, RN, CCRN; Mackenzie Lane, BSN, RN, CCRN; and Kelsey Muir, BSN, RN, CCCRN....

We’re back once again for our annual conversation with NorthStar Anesthesia CEO Adam Spiegel and Chief Anesthetist Officer/Executive Vice President of Clinical Strategy Randy Moore, DNP, MBA, CRNA to provide us with a state of the profession as we begin 2026. They’re here to help us make sense of the ever-evolving anesthesia ecosystem by explaining what’s going on in our space right now and tellin...

As we finish up wellness month, today’s conversation is about substance use disorder, recovery, and how people think about intentional living around this time of the year. Hosts Nickie Damico and Louisa Martin are joined by Bridget Petrillo, MS, CRNA and Rodrigo Garcia, CEO of Parkdale Center of Professionals , for an honest, deeply personal conversation about SUD, recovery, stigma, and hope withi...

As the year comes to a close, many CRNAs find themselves focused on family, travel, and well-deserved rest. But year-end is also one of the most important times to pause and take stock of your financial picture. Small, intentional decisions made before December 31 can have an outsized impact on your long-term success. In a special holiday episode of Beyond the Mask, Jeremy and Sharon walk through...

After a full year of conversations, shared experiences, and hard-earned lessons, the first season of Grade 1 View has reached the finish line. In this final wrap-up episode with our first four hosts, we’re reflecting on what it truly takes to survive and grow through nurse anesthesia school, clinicals, graduation, and the transition into practice. Today’s show is honest, personal, and often humoro...

Vaping has exploded in popularity among teens, young adults, and even surgical patients who don’t think of themselves as “smokers.” But for anesthesia providers, vaping is not harmless. It brings new airway, cardiovascular, and pharmacologic challenges to the OR.   This week we’re joined by Beth Wilkes, DNAP, CRNA, CHSE, FAANA to break down what CRNAs must understand about vaping: how these device...

As our wellness theme continues, today we’re focused on student wellness, which is essential to producing competent, confident, and emotionally healthy CRNAs. Erin and Greg welcome Matthew Zinder, DNAP, CH, CRNA, practice owner, educator, wellness researcher, and co-founder of Program Prep, to break down the realities of stress inside anesthesia programs and what both faculty and students can do a...

The political and legal landscape of nurse anesthesia is constantly shifting for CRNAs and the threats to our autonomy are real. But so are the opportunities, and that’s why we wanted Elizabeth Bamgbose, PhD, CRNA to join us for this conversation.  She’s a CRNA, educator, practice owner, and a fierce political advocate, and we’re going to break down everything CRNAs must understand about scope of...

The “Big Beautiful Bill” has created some concerns in the nurse anesthesia community, especially for future CRNAs who were left wondering what it means for their education, their financial reality, and the future of the profession. In this special episode of Grade 1 View, Greg Collins, DNP, CRNA and Michelle Canale, DNP, CRNA, APRN, FAANA join Olivia and Kevin to break down what the Department of...

Direct laryngoscopy vs. video laryngoscopy — which one should be the standard? In this lively and highly practical clinical debate, Sharon and Jeremy are joined by CRNA leaders Laura Ardizzone, MS, MBA, DNP, CRNA and Karen Maresch, DNAP, CRNA to explore the evidence, training differences, outcomes, technology trends, and real-world experiences behind DL and VL. We’re going to dig into everything f...

Faculty members are the backbone of every nurse anesthesia program, yet their own wellness is often overlooked. Over the next month, we’re shining the spotlight on wellness, and the first of three episodes features two special nurse anesthesia educator guests. Today, hosts Louisa Martin, PhD, CRNA and Erin Martin, APRN, CRNA, DNP sit down with Leigh Taylor, DNP, MS, CRNA and Crystal Hunnicutt, DNA...

This Thanksgiving, Beyond the Mask celebrates gratitude, giving, and the CRNAs who make a difference every day. Joining us for this special episode is John Yauger, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, the new CEO of the AANA Foundation, to discuss how the Foundation is shaping the future of nurse anesthesia through research, scholarships, and community support. It’s an opportunity to shine a light on one of the corn...

Ageism might not be the first ‘ism’ that comes to mind in healthcare, but it’s one that affects every provider eventually. Today’s guest, Cynthia Farina, DNP, CRNA, RN, CNE , is an educator who has devoted much of her life to advocating for wellness, inclusion, and professional longevity. She joins Kevin and Charity to break down the subtle ways age bias shows up in anesthesia—from assumptions abo...