Ep 199: Olive Berger, CRNA – Founding Member of the AANA

The early years of anesthesia were a time when nurses proved just how valuable they were as this new world was being explored. Olive Berger, CRNA was one of the women that rose to the occasion and helped shape the profession through her work with ‘blue babies’ and with the AANA. Today we look back on her career with show historians Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA.

Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this episode:

• Her early career graduating in 1922, the rise to Chief Nurse Anesthetist just nine years later, and some of her accomplishments. (6:38)
• The story behind the ‘blue baby’ operations and the Blalock-Taussig-Thomas shunt that was developed for patients with cyanotic heart disease. (12:01)
• Details from a 1948 AANA Journal article where Ms. Berger spoke about the early anesthesia administered. (16:20)
• The Austin Lamont study that concluded anesthesiology should become a medical specialty. (21:19)
• The multiple roles she held with the NANA and then AANA. (25:22)

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