The rate of mental health illness has already been on the rise among young adults and these past two years have added even more stress to our lives. We know first-hand how difficult things have been for healthcare workers and students alike. Michael Rieker, CRNA, DNP, FAAN, like many people, has been personally impacted by suicide and now uses that experience to help improve the mental health for people he comes in contact with each day. He joins us on this episode to talk about the challenges facing our industry, how we can personally make a difference in someone’s life, and an upcoming event that will honor the memory of an SRNA.

About our guest: https://school.wakehealth.edu/Faculty/R/Michael-Rieker

Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

What we discuss on this episode:

2:44 – Welcome in Mike Rieker. Why this is important to talk about.

4:53 – Background on Mike

5:32 – What has been driving mental health issues

8:49 – Effect on healthcare workers

13:20 – The quiet stressors

18:48 – Enormous pressure on anesthesia students

22:48 – Lessons he’s learned

27:06 – Empathizing with people

30:22 – Providing support

34:43 – Difficulty in finding balance

39:00 – The annual run

40:59 – Final thoughts

41:29 – Lightning round

45:25 – Details on the run

Ep 148: Mental Health Awareness for Healthcare Workers and Trainees