Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

realize. From airway reactivity and wound-healing concerns to unknown additives and changing drug trends, clinicians may be dealing with far more than nicotine.

In this episode, Beth Wilkes, DNAP, CRNA, CHSE, explains why CRNAs need to rethink how they screen patients and assess vaping history. The goal is to recognize emerging risks earlier and make the preoperative conversation more specific, useful, and clinically relevant.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

💨 Ask About Vaping: Smoking questions alone are not enough

🫁 Expect Airway Risk: Respiratory complications may increase

🧪 Kn...

In this episode of Grade 1 View, hosts Kelsey and Levi welcome Chrissy Massaro, CRNA, MSN and Kate Freedman, CRNA, MSN from Confident Care Academy to talk about what they wish they knew before clinicals and share guidance on how to best prepare. Whether ​you're ​heading ​into ​your ​first ​pediatric ​case ​or ​walking ​into ​a ​cardiac ​room ​wondering ​what ​you ​should ​know ​beforehand, ​knowing what to expect ​can ​make ​a ​huge ​difference ​in ​your ​confidence ​and ​clinical ​experience.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🫁 Know the pediatric airway and review weight-based drug dosing before clinicals.

❤️ Master cardiac physiology and ph...

Clinical preceptors do far more than supervise students in the operating room. They help learners connect classroom knowledge to real patient care, develop clinical judgment, build confidence, and learn what professional practice actually looks like.

In this episode, Amy Yerdon, DNP, MNA, CRNA, CNE, CHSE, FAANA shares practical ways to make that teaching more intentional without sacrificing patient safety or learner autonomy. We hope this conversation can help preceptors communicate more clearly, give better feedback, and create the kind of clinical learning experience that can shape a CRNA for an entire career.

Here’s some of...

Moving from clinical anesthesia to the classroom sounds like a natural next step. But what happens when the workload becomes so overwhelming that you consider walking away?

Becky Motykiewicz, DNAP, CRNA returns to Airway Exchange to share her true experience as a full-time CRNA educator at Drexel University in year one. Along with hosts Nickie and Louisa,  Becky offers a candid look at the realities of academic life, including the reason why she almost quit after just nine months. You’ll hear about the mentors who helped her through, what she's changing in year two, and why she...

Ultrasound has changed the way anesthesia providers assess patients, perform regional techniques, and make decisions at the bedside. But for CRNAs who trained before these tools became commonplace, adding those skills can feel intimidating.

In this episode of Beyond the Mask, recorded at the IFNA Congress in Australia, Christian Falyar, DNAP, CRNA, FAANA joins us to talk about how point-of-care ultrasound and regional anesthesia are becoming increasingly important parts of full-scope CRNA practice.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🔍 Start With POCUS: Build ultrasound comfort before advanced procedures

🧠...

AI is already changing healthcare, but that does not mean every answer it gives should be trusted. For CRNAs, the challenge is learning how to use these tools without compromising patient privacy, critical thinking, or clinical judgment.

In this episode, Kirsten Meister, DNP, CRNA offers a practical framework for using AI with healthy skepticism and purpose. With the rise of AI, it’s important that CRNAs become informed users of the technology so they can help shape how it enters anesthesia practice rather than simply reacting to it later.

Here’s some of what you’ll hea...

In this episode recorded at AANA Congress in Boston, Levi and Mackenzie explore the military CRNA careers of Jan Setnor, MSN, CRNA, Col. (Ret), USAFR, NC, and Greg Collins, DNP, CRNA. Both guests have experience providing anesthesia in deployed environments, and they open up about what military service taught them about practicing under pressure and serving as part of a larger mission. For any future CRNAs considering a military path, this conversation will help provide you with a clearer picture of the opportunities, responsibilities, and personal growth that can come with that choice.

Here’s some of wh...

Experienced clinicians often develop techniques that work and that can make change difficult. But “we’ve always done it this way” can also keep better tools and safer workflows from getting a fair look. In this episode, Scott Imus, EdD, MSN, CRNA and Wendy Monrad, MSN, CRNA discuss deep sedation, airway management, ETCO₂ monitoring, and how the Aeris Airway helped replace years of improvised workarounds with a more consistent approach.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🛠️ Stop MacGyvering: Better tools can replace improvised setups

📈 Better Monitoring: Reliable ETCO₂ can improve sedation m...

Scholarship can feel like one more impossible responsibility for busy nurse anesthesia educators, but it often begins with something much simpler: a question. Why are we doing it this way? Is there a better approach? What are we seeing that the literature has not explained yet?

In this episode, hosts Louisa and Nickie welcome on Jenni Ross Majumdar, PhD, CRNA to make scholarship feel more approachable by showing how curiosity can grow into meaningful work. The larger goal is to help CRNA educators see research not as an extra burden, but as a practical way to strengthen...

What does the nurse anesthesia profession look like outside the United States? At the IFNA Congress in Australia, Sharon and guest co-host Kevin Chem sit down with Toñi Ballesteros Barrado for a firsthand look at practice in Spain. Their conversation reveals a model of care that keeps nurse anesthetists closely connected to patients throughout the surgical experience.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🇪🇸 Spanish Practice: Roles span perioperative care

🎓 Training Path: Education lacks national standardization

🩺 Patient Continuum: Care extends before and after surgery

🤝 Team Model: Nurses a...

Beyond the Ether is the new clinical series from Beyond the Mask, bringing together four experienced CRNAs to talk about the science, judgment, technology, and real-world decision-making behind anesthesia practice.

In this first episode, Laura Ardizzone, MS, MBA, DNP, CRNA, Jeff Molter, MSN, MBA, CRNA, Tracy Castleman, DNP, CRNA, APN-A, and Daniel King, DNP, MNA, APRN, CRNA, CPPS, CNE, introduce themselves, share the mentors and experiences that shaped their careers, and look ahead to AI, pharmacogenomics, ultrasound, perioperative optimization, and the constantly evolving future of anesthesia.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this...

Nurse anesthesia school can be demanding, isolating, and humbling, but it does not have to be experienced alone. The Nurse Anesthesiology Resident Association (NARA) is an organization run by residents for residents, and we had the opportunity to sit down with President Dazjia Green and Vice President Omar Durand at the Annual Congress in Boston.

We’ll hear how ​NARA ​serves ​the ​resident ​community and ​what ​our guests ​have ​learned ​from ​balancing ​school, ​leadership,​and ​life. They also share what resident life really feels like, how quickly confidence can swing in clinical, and why building a national community matters for the future...

One ​of ​our ​traditions ​at ​Beyond ​the ​Mask ​is​ sitting ​down ​with ​the ​new ​AANA ​President ​​to ​talk ​about ​the ​year​ ahead, their ​vision ​for ​the ​association, ​and ​the ​challenges ​and​ opportunities ​facing ​our ​profession. This year we had the chance to sit down with Tracy Young, MSNA, MBA, CRNA at the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Annual Convention as he steps into the role at an important time for nurse anesthesiology.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🎯 Three Pillars: Evidence, clinical excellence, and policy drive the strategy

🏠 Professional Home: AANA wants to serve CRNAs across every career stage

...

Significant perioperative loss can affect CRNAs deeply, even when there was no error and nothing could have been done differently. Yet many clinicians are never taught what those emotions may look like or how to process them.

This episode of Airway Exchange explores the emotional impact of significant perioperative loss on CRNAs and why nurse anesthesia programs need to prepare students for those experiences before they happen. Crystal Hunnicutt, DNAP, CRNA, APRN, CNE, CHSE, CWP, the Vice Chair of the AANA Health and Wellness Committee, and Jennifer Stewart-Glenn, PhD, MSN, FNP discuss their qualitative research, including themes...

What happens when nurse anesthesia education moves beyond the traditional classroom?

Recorded at the AANA Annual Congress in Boston, Sharon and guest co-host Tracy Castleman, DNP, CRNA, APN-A, FAANA, sit down with longtime CRNA educator Richard Wilson, DNAP, CRNA, FAANA to explore how virtual classrooms, simulation, podcasts, VR, AI, and new teaching strategies are changing the way future CRNAs learn.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

💻 Virtual learning can expand access without lowering standards.

🤝 Mentorship remains vital—even in a digital classroom.

🧠 Understanding matters more than memor...

A career in nurse anesthesia does not have to follow one path. For Tracy Young, MSNA, MBA, CRNA, it certainly did not. His career has included clinical practice, entrepreneurship, business leadership, advocacy, state association leadership, national board service, and eventually the presidency of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. But one of the most interesting parts of his story is that none of it was part of one grand plan.

The new AANA President joins Grade 1 View from Annual Congress in Boston to share how his path evolved from bedside nursing and anesthesia into entrepreneurship, advocacy, and...

What does nurse anesthesia practice look like in Finland?

That question is at the center of this episode of Beyond the Mask, recorded at the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists meeting in Australia. Sharon and guest co-host Kevin Chem sit down with Sari Pyhälä, a Finnish RN specialized in anesthesia and perioperative care, to learn more about how her profession differs from the model many U.S. CRNAs know.

Sari explains Finland’s education pathway, the role of on-the-job training, and how nurse anesthetists work within a physician-supervised model while still taking on significant resp...

Think great simulation training requires a massive budget and a high-fidelity mannequin? Jennifer McLeod, DNAP, APRN, CRNA, would disagree.

In this episode of Airway Exchange, recorded live at AANA Annual Congress in Boston, Greg sits down with Jennifer to talk about her approach to preparing the next generation of simulation educators. She explains how some of the most effective simulation experiences can be built with simple tools, thoughtful scenarios, and strong debriefing.

The central message is simple: simulation can be accessible, practical, and incredibly powerful when educators focus less on technology and more on thoughtful...

What does the future of the AANA and the CRNA profession look like?

Recorded live at the 2026 AANA Annual Congress in Boston, Sharon and Jeremy sit down with AANA CEO Bill Bruce to discuss an organization and profession experiencing significant growth. With more than 4,700 attendees at the Congress, Bruce outlines the AANA’s newly adopted strategic plan and the three pillars designed to guide its next chapter: develop and own the evidence, define the standards of excellence, and dominate policy.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🎯 AANA has a new str...

What is the AANA Annual Congress actually like for student and resident attendees? The Grade 1 View team takes listeners inside the 2026 meeting in Boston to discuss the sessions, speakers, networking, student events, and unexpected moments that stood out most. Levi, Kelsey, Mackenzie, and Nicolas wrap up a weekend of recording episodes from the Broadcast Booth with this episode that reflects on their experiences, with a pop in from two surprise guests.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🎓 Student Perspective: Congress offers real-world professional exposure

🤝 Build Connections: Networking can create lifelong rela...

Deep sedation often leaves anesthesia providers working in the space between simple oxygen delivery and a fully advanced airway. That gap can mean poor capnography, inefficient oxygen delivery, frequent airway maneuvers, and plenty of improvised solutions.

In this episode, the show’s first anesthesiologist, Dr. Rene Gonzalez, joins Sharon and Jeremy to discuss the Aeris Airway, the study behind it, and how purpose-built airway tools could help providers take a more proactive approach to patient support.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🫁 Close the Gap: Deep sedation often requires...

What separates a strong nurse anesthesia applicant from someone who simply looks impressive on paper?

In this episode of Airway Exchange, Erin and Louisa sit down with Leah Gordon, DNP, APRN, CRNA, program director and assistant professor in the Nurse Anesthesiology Program at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and author of The Provider Mindset: A Complete Guide to Becoming a Competitive Nurse Anesthesiology Applicant. Together, they explore what educators are really looking for during the admissions process and why GPA, ICU experience, shadowing hours, and a polished interview only tell part of the story.

He...

Recorded live from the IFNA World Congress in Australia, Sharon and special co-host Kevin Chem sat down with Associate Professor Susannah Sherlock to offer a rare look inside hospital-based hyperbaric medicine and its connection to anesthesia, critical care, surgery, wound healing, and long-term cancer recovery.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🫁 Oxygen Under Pressure: Hyperbaric therapy uses gas laws and physiology to stimulate healing

🎗️ Cancer Recovery: Many patients are treated for delayed radiation injuries

🦶 Limb Salvage: Coordinated care may prevent or reduce the extent of amputation

👂 Hearing...

Sharon Pearce, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN has spent decades practicing, advocating, leading, mentoring, and telling the stories of nurse anesthesia. But behind the titles is a career shaped by formative mentors, difficult clinical days, unexpected opportunities, and a strong sense of responsibility to the profession.

Nicolas and Kelsey have a great conversation with Sharon, not just a former AANA president and longtime voice in nurse anesthesia, but also a CRNA shaped by mentors, advocacy, hard clinical lessons, and a deep belief in giving back to the profession. She shares the stories behind her career, the people who...

Mike O’Dell, CRNA never planned on becoming a quilting entrepreneur, but a love of art, a willingness to experiment, and a push from the right mentor changed everything. What started as a handmade quilt pattern eventually became Legit Kits, a growing business that brought him all the way to Shark Tank.

In this episode, Mike shares the twists, risks, failures, and lessons behind that journey while explaining why CRNA training gave him the confidence to pursue something completely outside anesthesia. His story is a reminder of what can happen when curiosity turns into action.

He...

Many nurse anesthesia students enter their programs with an interest in teaching, but that interest can fade without formal guidance or hands-on opportunities. The Minneapolis School of Anesthesia is addressing that gap through a student faculty mentorship track designed to prepare future educators before graduation.

In this episode, Nickie and Louisa are joined by faculty members Travis Laffoon, DNP, CRNA, APRN, Megan Kakela, DNP, CRNA, APRN, Jordan Popp, DNP, CRNA, APRN, and Grace Bedu, DNP, CRNA, APRN to discuss how the program combines mentorship, clinical release time, exam development, simulation teaching, and exposure to the realities of...

Adam Flowe, MSN, CRNA returns to Beyond the Mask for a follow-up conversation on onco-anesthesia, cancer research, and the rapidly changing tools that may shape the future of care. After stepping away from a longtime leadership role at Duke and moving into a smaller practice setting, Adam reflects on career change, identity, and the importance of staying open to growth.

The conversation then turns to one of the biggest unresolved questions in anesthesia: does the anesthetic technique used during cancer surgery affect long-term cancer outcomes? Adam discusses why several major research studies were expected to provide clarity...

One of the biggest events in our profession is coming up in a few weeks, and the AANA Annual Congress in Boston will provide countless opportunities for RNs and future CRNAs. With educational sessions, networking opportunities, career resources, workshops, and special events happening throughout the week, having a plan can make a major difference.

With ​so ​much ​going on ​throughout ​the ​week, ​we ​thought ​it ​would ​be ​a ​perfect ​time ​to ​bring ​on ​some ​people ​who ​make ​all ​of ​this ​happen. So today Levi sits down with Hallie Evans, DNP, CRNA - AANA Senior Director of Education and Professional Development, Julie Rossberger, AA...

In this episode, Sharon and Jeremy welcome President and CEO of Aurnova University Linda Caccamo, CRNA, DNP, MS, MBA, MHA, to discuss why advanced business education is becoming an increasingly valuable asset for healthcare professionals. With more than 30 years of clinical anesthesia experience, Linda understands what it takes to create academic programs that meet today’s workforce needs and we’ll explore all areas of that in this conversation.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🎓 Leadership Development: Why clinical expertise isn't always enough

💼 Business Education: How MBAs and MHAs open new...

How much does the clinical learning environment shape the future of nurse anesthesia?

In this episode of Airway Exchange, Greg and Erin welcome Richard Wilson, DNAP, CRNA, FAANA to discuss his groundbreaking research on incivility among CRNA preceptors. Together, they examine groundbreaking research showing that more than three-quarters of nurse anesthesia residents reported experiencing some form of incivility during training, while exploring why these situations occur and what educators, preceptors, and clinical leaders can do to improve the experience for everyone involved.

Rather than simply identifying the problem, this conversation focuses on practical solutions.

Recorded live from the IFNA World Congress in Australia, Sharon and special co-host Kevin Chem welcome Richard Henker, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN, whose work with the World Health Organization and the G4 Alliance is helping reshape global anesthesia through data. We’ll explore ​how ​the ​Operative ​and ​Encounter ​Registry ​serves ​as ​a ​simple ​point ​of ​care ​tool ​that ​allows ​anesthesia ​providers ​to ​capture ​essential ​surgical ​and ​anesthesia ​data, ​making ​our ​care ​visible ​in ​ways ​it ​hasn't ​been ​before.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🌍 Global Advocacy – Using data to influence healthcare policy worldwide

📊 The Operative Encounter Registry – Making an...

Every nurse anesthesia student loses sleep over clinicals, wondering whether they’re prepared enough to keep up. The truth? Everyone struggles in the beginning, even the students who seem to have it all together.

In this episode of Grade 1 View, Mackenzie leads the discussion with Levi and Nicolas to share honest stories from their first months in clinicals. They’ll open up about embarrassing mistakes and imposter syndrome, while providing lessons on stress management and learning to laugh at yourself, this conversation is a reassuring reminder that becoming a CRNA is a journey—not a test of perfec...

In this episode of Beyond the Mask, former AANA presidents Sandy Ouellette, CRNA and Dick Ouellette, CRNA join Sharon and Jeremy explore the only three amicus briefs ever filed by the AANA (and its predecessor, NANA). From the 1934 Dagmar Nelson case to the antitrust battles of the 1980s, they explain how these legal efforts defended CRNA practice, challenged misinformation, and laid the foundation for the profession's continued autonomy. It's an essential history lesson for every nurse anesthetist and a reminder that today's opportunities were earned through decades of advocacy.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in t...

Item analysis can sound intimidating, especially for educators who were trained as clinicians first and teachers second. But when used well, it can become one of the most valuable tools for improving assessments, clarifying instruction, and supporting student success.

In this episode of Airway Exchange, hosts Erin and Louisa welcome in Valerie Diaz, DNP, CRNA, PMHNP-BC, APRN, CNE, CHSE, FAANA, CAPT (Ret), USN and Pedro Hernandez, DNP, CRNA, APRN to break down the importance of item analysis, a topic they presented at AANA’s EDGE event earlier this year.

Just as CRNAs constantly refine their cl...

Retirement for CRNAs is much more than just reaching a savings goal. It's about deciding what kind of life you want to live, and that often means asking difficult questions about your home, your possessions, your finances, and even your identity. While popular retirement advice often focuses on what to sell before you retire, the better question is whether those things still support the life you're trying to build.

In this episode of Beyond the Mask, Sharon turns the microphone around and interviews Jeremy, a Certified Financial Planner®, about a viral retirement video that has generated millions o...

Graduation is in sight, boards are on the horizon, and one of the biggest decisions of your career is quickly approaching: choosing your first CRNA job. With demand at an all-time high and opportunities across the country, it's easy to focus on salary alone, but the best career decisions involve much more than compensation.

In this episode of Grade 1 View, hosts Kelsey and Levi welcome Mackenzie Munoz, Director of Partner Success at MedGeo and Tonya Hamlin, Regional Vice President of Recruiting at Jackson Physician Search to discuss how SRNAs/RRNAs can confidently navigate the job search process...

Recorded live from the IFNA World Congress in Australia, we sat down with physician and Dr. Jonathan Chejfec of the Mexican Federation of Colleges of Anesthesiology to examine one of the most significant patient safety events in recent anesthesia history. Together, they explore how healthcare can move from blame to learning, why human factors matter, and what organizations everywhere can do to build safer systems before tragedy occurs.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

🌍 The Mexico Outbreak – Understanding what happened and why it mattered

⚠️ Systems vs. Individuals – Why catastrophic fa...

In this episode of Airway Exchange, Erin and Greg sit down with Yasmine Campbell, DNP, CRNA, APRN, CNE, CHSE, FAANA, a clinical associate professor at Florida International University and member of the AANA Education Committee. The episode discusses strategies for writing better exams, the growing role of AI, and creating meaningful professional development opportunities for CRNA faculty.

​Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

📊 Item Analysis – Using data to improve exams and fairness

🎓 Board Preparation – Helping students succeed on the NCE

🧠 Test-Taking Skills – Building confidence beyond content knowledge

🤖 AI...

Healthcare innovation is often associated with software developers, startup founders, and technology companies. But what if some of the most important solutions to healthcare's biggest challenges are sitting inside operating rooms, classrooms, and clinical settings every day? CRNAs and nurses see problems firsthand, yet they are rarely invited into the rooms where solutions are created.

In this episode, Sharon and Jeremy welcome nurse entrepreneur Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL and AANA Senior Innovation Specialist Cherissa Jackson to discuss the upcoming AANA Hackathon at the AANA Annual Congress. This event creates a space for clinicians, educators, students, and...

Today we’re tackling something that every single SRNA needs to understand before signing their very first employment contract, and that’s protecting our livelihood once we graduate.

In this episode of Grade 1 View, hosts Mackenzie and Nicolas sit down with Bryan Doyle, ME, RPLU, Acting Vice President of AANA Insurance Services and Lisa Kiska, RPLU+, Supervisor, Underwriting & Customer Service at AANA Insurance Services to break down the essentials of malpractice insurance to better prepare every SRNA for the realities of the workplace.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🛡️ Malpractice...