
Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs
A podcast for the CRNA industry. Discussing the important issues that happen both in, and beyond, the operating room. With Sharon Pearce, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN and Jeremy Stanley, EA, CFP, AIF. Innovations & opportunities for CRNAs & APRNs. Visit our website for more great information https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/ and to learn how you can get CE Credit as a CRNA just by listening to the podcast. Don’t miss our special series on CRNA History, CRNA Personal Finance & Retirement, Political Conversations, CRNA Career Issues, and our leadership series called Courage To Lead. Check out new episodes of Beyond The Mask every week with distinguished guests from the CRNA community... #anesthesiology #rn #surgery #healthcare #nurseanesthesiologist #crnaschool #nursing #srnalife #nurselife #nursingstudent #ornurse #nurseanesthesia #crnalife #nursepractitioner #medschool #anesthesialife #scrublife #icunurse #hospital #futurecrna #medical #crna #nurse #anesthesia #srna #nurseanesthetist #nurses #surgical #operatingtheatre #medicalstudent #operatingroomnurse #studentnurse #diversitycrna #ccrn #nursepractitioner #APRN #APRNchat #NPchat #midwife #NP
Latest episodes

Nov 24, 2022 • 44min
Ep 212: Thankful for the AANA and Its Ongoing Efforts for CRNAs
It hasn’t been the easiest year for a lot of people, but we know there’s still plenty to be grateful for as we approach another Thanksgiving. Specifically, we wanted to shine the light on the AANA and everything they do for our profession each year. New AANA President Angela Mund, DNP, CRNA is a friend of the show and someone we appreciate quite a bit so we wanted to spend some time with her on this holiday to talk about everything she’s hoping to accomplish over the next year.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
What the AANA means to nurse anesthetists. (5:45)
What’s on Angie’s agenda for the next year. (6:56)
Angie’s vision for communication with the members. (11:52)
What advocacy and wins look like in her mind. (20:52)
The work the AANA is doing to increase membership. (23:50)
What can members do to help the AANA board? (34:18)
Support the veterans: https://www.veteransneedcarenow.org/share-your-story/
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Nov 22, 2022 • 33min
Ep 211: Anesthesia Management for a Pheochromocytoma
CRNAs and SRNAs/RRNAs have asked us to give them the essential information needed to manage different OR cases. Episodes they can listen to while on their commute, on a run, or just relaxing at home with their headphones. Today we’re going to review the Anesthesia Management for a Pheochromocytoma. This is the second episode in our endocrine surgical procedures series, so get ready for this power-packed episode full of "need to know" info you can use in the OR and stuff you might even find on exams.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
The pathology of a Pheochromocytoma. (3:40)
The signs and symptoms you’ll find. (5:16)
What if it goes undiagnosed? (6:37)
How to differentiate this from other interoperative problem. (7:25)
Treating known diagnosed Pheochromocytoma. (10:52)
What will you be watching for as you monitor patient? (15:58)
Intraoperative hemodynamic goals. (19:29)
Let’s work through a PACU scenario. (24:45)
About our hosts: https://www.kpsan.org/school/people/
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Nov 17, 2022 • 38min
Ep 210: The Dangers of Button Batteries & the Immediate Care Required
When Sharon visited the NCANA meeting in Wilmington, she sat through a lecture full of people with children and grandchildren that were panicked listening to the speaker. It was eye-opening and something we wanted to bring awareness to because it can be avoided. The person speaking that day was Emily Funk, DNP, CRNA and we asked her to come on to talk to us about the danger of button batteries and the harm they can cause almost immediately when ingested.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
How she became aware of button battery ingestion and the heartbreaking story of a young girl that passed away. (6:06)
What you should do if a kid swallows a battery. (10:54)
What do anesthetists need to know about care. (14:02)
Warnings and protections that are currently in place. (18:09)
How to be more aware of what’s in the home. (20:00)
What care is needed after the battery is removed? (26:11)
About our guest: https://nursing.duke.edu/directories/emily.funk
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Nov 10, 2022 • 55min
Ep 209: Tips for Getting the Right CRNA Job with Lt. Col. (ret) Tom Davis
CRNAs continue to be in high demand so finding a job isn’t always the challenge, but how do you go about identifying and landing the right job? Thomas Davis, DNAP, MAE, CRNA is an Air Force-trained CRNA who learned a lot about leadership during his time in the military and has used that to start ProSynEx Authentic Leadership. Today we’ll dive into the hiring process and share tips for any CRNA exploring new employment so that you have the best chance at landing that perfect job.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
What the Gallup Q12 survey has found about employment needs. (8:35)
How to go about creating a list of what you’re looking for. (12:37)
Why emotional intelligence becoming more and more important on both sides. (14:54)
The dangers of social media for future employment. (23:59)
What to put on your cover letter. (29:11)
Preparing for the questions you might be asked during an interview. (36:11)
Learn more about the Gallup Q12 Engagement Survey: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/356063/gallup-q12-employee-engagement-survey.aspx
About our guest: https://prosynex.com/about/
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Nov 8, 2022 • 35min
Ep 208: Crisis Checklist for Neurogenic Shock
In this episode, we’re going to continue discussing our crisis checklists and the ones that relate to distributive shock specifically. Let’s talk about what happens during neurogenic shock by discussing a case involving a 34-year-old male that came into the ER after a motor vehicle crash. We’ll talk about what you should do if you face this scenario and lay out the checklist to help prioritize care for this patient.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
The details for today’s case study and how to set priorities. (3:00)
Pathophysiology of neurogenic shock. (6:28)
The signs and symptoms that come along with this. (9:43)
Breaking down the treatment needed. (13:45)
Things to be worried about. (17:26)
Vasopressor support, (21:15)
Differential diagnoses we should be considering. (26:50)
About our hosts: https://www.kpsan.org/school/people/
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Nov 3, 2022 • 46min
Ep 207: Normalization of Deviance and Production Pressure for CRNAs
When you look at how critical mistakes happen in the workplace, the normalization of deviance is often the culprit. You can find examples of this in all different areas of life, but CRNAs frequently face the pressure of doing things as fast as we can to meet the demands of production pressure. Today we want to explore this idea of normalization of deviance with Randy Cornelius, DNP, ARNP, CRNA, and discuss how CRNAs can work to overcome this.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
The reason this topic is so important and examples of how this occurs. (10:00)
What went wrong during the Challenger space shuttle disaster. (20:18)
Production pressure in nurse anesthesia and how it causes normalization of deviance. (24:06)
How can we prevent this normalization? (27:37)
How this occurs in the OR and some cases we’ve seen. (31:13)
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Oct 27, 2022 • 40min
Ep 206: From the OR to the C-Suite with Randy Moore
Randy Moore, DNP, MBA, CRNA, left his role as the AANA CEO about a year ago to take over as Chief Anesthetist Officer at NorthStar Anesthesia. It was a little surprising because it seemed like a great long-term position, but the reasons for his departure make sense when you hear him explain his vision moving forward. That’s why we’ve invited our friend and colleague onto the show to catch up on this huge career change.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
What attracted him to this new position at NorthStar. (3:06)
What pushed him to move from the OR to a leadership career track. (9:10)
The characteristics that high-performing executives possess. (12:51)
Some of the reasons behind the decision to leave the AANA. (17:19)
How he would structure the AANA CEO position to allow for more balance between work and time spent with the board. (25:18)
How he thinks he can impact the profession more positively in this new role. (31:57)
About our guest: https://northstaranesthesia.com/our-culture/leadership.html
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Oct 25, 2022 • 32min
Ep 205: Case Management for Thyroidectomy
As we continue our case series on these clinical episodes, we’re going to start out by talking about surgical procedures and pathology related to the endocrine system. Today’s episode will focus on a thyroidectomy, which is the surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland. We’ll take you through a case and walk you through the essential points of what you need to know.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
Airway management tools and what should you pay attention to. (2:46)
Pre-operative pharmacological management. (6:56)
Pre-operative thyroid tests that can be given. (9:48)
Hemodynamics during a thyroidectomy. (12:09)
What should you look for in terms of thyroid storm. (17:49)
Deep vs awake extubation. (20:46)
What happens if someone develops a hematoma. (24:52)
About our hosts: https://www.kpsan.org/school/people/
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Oct 20, 2022 • 36min
Ep 204: CRNA Strong – Inspirational Stories from Four CRNAs
Our profession is filled with incredible individuals who are resourceful and know how to make the most out of whatever comes their way in the operating room and in life. During our time at the AANA Annual Congress in Chicago, we got to hear a handful of those stories and asked each of these four wonderful CRNAs to join the show and share the obstacles they overcame to achieve extraordinary accomplishments.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
Elizabeth’s story of 40+ years in anesthesia and overcoming lack of diversity. (2:37)
Jennifer’s story of transitioning from a CRNA to Coroner. (9:00)
Brett’s story of becoming the only credentialed and practicing CRNA with the physical disability of having one arm. (13:48)
Tim’s story of being a part of the group of CRNAs providing ICU care at the Javits Center in NYC during the COVID outbreak. (25:23)
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf

Oct 13, 2022 • 51min
Ep 203: The Future of Anesthesia with NorthStar CEO & CAO
There’s been a huge strain put on the anesthesia business in recent years due to the way that hospitals and surgeries have changed, and there’s some uneasiness about what it could mean for the future.
Today we’ve invited NorthStar Anesthesia CEO Adam Spiegel and Chief Anesthetist Officer Randy Moore, DNP, MBA, CRNA, on to assess the state of the profession and discuss what’s to come for CRNAs as processes evolve.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
How hospitals have changed over the past few years to create this strain on anesthesia. (4:48)
The financial truth behind hospital revenues. (11:01)
Meeting the future demand for CRNAs and what it means for earnings. (16:13)
Why solutions will be market-by-market. (24:41)
Where do CRNAs fit into these new business models? (31:02)
An explanation of how a lot of the demand is artificial. (36:49)
Will the rate of growth continue for CRNAs? (40:26)
About our guest: https://northstaranesthesia.com/our-culture/leadership.html
Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com
Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf