Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

Our first installment of the presidential leadership series begins with a conversation with former AANA president Terry Wicks. His decorated career includes this year leading the organization in 2006-07, and we’ll go back with him to discuss the highlights, the challenges, and what he still remembers about the experience. You’ll enjoy some great stories along the way. The rundown for today's episode:  1:53 – Welcoming Terry Wicks to the show. 2:19 – Introducing the Presidential Leadership Series we’ll be doing. 3:26 – Sharon has a story about Terry she wants to share first. 5:02 – Terry talks about the new endeavor he’s taking on at UNC-Greensboro.   6:14 – Highlights from his year as president of the AANA from 2006-07 8:52 – There were some challenges as well.    10:28 – We want to do this series to teach people about the history of the industry and those that have impacted CRNAs.   11:45 – The accessibility of leaders has been so rewarding. 13:17 – What Terry enjoyed best about being the AANA president.   14:40 – What the travel is really like for an AANA president.   16:32 – Another unforgettable story that Terry will always remember.   18:14 – What advice would you give an incoming AANA president? 20:20 – What ways did your experiences shape your participation in the AANA after you left office? 22:30 – Helping people deal with substance abuse has become a passion.   23:46 – What advice would you share with new CRNAs? 25:09 – Is there another profession you’d like to be a part of if you had your choice? 26:50 – Some parting words from Terry.   Get the full show notes and additional resources by clicking here. 

The International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists is celebrating 30 years as an organization in 2019 and we had the chance to spend some time with four current board members and one past president. During this episode, we had the chance to talk about the IFNA’s history, its mission, where it hopes to go in the future, and much more. Check out the full show notes by clicking here.----more---- Today's rundown:  1:54 – Introducing today’s topic on the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists          2:09 – Welcome in our IFNA guests to the show. 2:28 – Some history on IFNA and how it formed from Sandy Oullette 5:15 – President Jackie Rowles introduces today’s panel: 1st VP Ingrid Andersson, Treasurer Zorica Kardos, and Executive Committee member Gye Seon Jeong 5:58 – Andersson shares the value of IFNA to her Swedish national organization.   7:16 – Similar practices between US and Sweden. 9:15 – Gye Seon Jeong on her experience with IFNA in Korea  14:10 – How many nurse anesthetists in Korea? 15:40 – Zorica Kardis from Slovenia joins the show to share her experiences. 16:40 – The challenges of being the treasurer of an international organization. 18:43 – The number of CRNAs in Slovenia and how their practice compares to the US. 20:05 – How the IFNA supports the growth within individual countries.   21:15 – 107 countries reported nurses provide nurse anesthesia and we have 43 country members. 21:48 – What IFNA is doing to grow and expand the organization.   22:55 – What are the greatest accomplishments of the IFNA? 26:33 – Where is the focus for the IFNA in the future? 28:49 – Each guests shares their best memory of IFNA 43:54 – Sandy Oullette shares a funny story. 46:27 – Jacky shares some closing comments on IFNA.

Whether you’re looking for that first CRNA job or you're a veteran in the industry, the interview process can be stressful. It’s easy to question yourself and your preparation. That’s why we wanted to bring on a guest from one of the country’s top medical centers to give you an inside look at the interview process and share tips to help you land your next job. Visit the Beyond The Mask Podcast website... ----more---- Show Notes: 2:17 – Introducing our guest Laura Ardizzone 5:46 – What we’re talking about today: CRNA job interviews 7:10 – What are some of the skills and strategies of the interviewer? 9:16 – Be confident that your future employer has seen your social media posts. 10:00 – Some companies/hospitals utilize software to cull social media feeds. 11:28 – Social media works both ways and employers are often reviewed by candidates. 12:52 – CRNAs are in high demand right now.  13:46 – Resources that can help you prepare for an interview. 15:00 – What types of questions are off-limits? 15:50 – Jeremy shares a funny interview story. 17:02 – A surprising thing that candidates have told Laura. 18:58 – How long does a typical interview last? 19:42 – A question that Laura commonly likes to ask to gauge the interview direction. 20:32 – Should CRNA’s ask about time off during an interview? 21:45 – How should you dress for an interview? 22:36 – How and when should a candidate follow up after an interview? 24:30 – What if you haven’t heard back for a while? 25:40 – Have you ever hired someone that turned out to be completely different than expected? 26:25 – Final words of wisdom from Laura.

There’s some concern in educational circles that the history of nurse anesthesia has lost importance during the evolution of the profession. We want to dive into that topic today and explore the history, accomplishments, and milestones with two experts on the subject. Sandra Ouellette and Evan Koch will provide historical insight and some wonderful information on this episode. Check out the full show notes by clicking here.----more---- Today's rundown:  1:38 – Introducing Sandra Ouellette, one of our guests today. 3:50 – A little background on Ouellette’s career and recent honor. 5:16 – Introducing our second guest Evan Koch and his background. 6:16 – Our main topic today: relevance of nurse anesthesia history in evolution of profession. 6:46 – What are some of the common themes found throughout history? 9:05 – Surgeons can be a CRNA’s greatest asset. 9:26 – Surgeon Evarts Graham’s impact on the history of the industry. 11:18 – Humbug in anesthesia at the outset of discovery. 12:47 – Ouellette on some of the history that’s been edited through the years. 14:01 – Where you can find a lot of great information on anesthesia history. 14:47 – The role that educators have played in our history. 15:54 – Helen Lamb’s impact. 17:00 – Educators have faced various threats and obstacles through the years. 19:30 – Contributions that CRNA’s have made on anesthesia. 22:19 – Has the discussion of professional identity been around for a while? The debate surrounding the title Nurse Anesthesiologist. 28:23 – It’s important to know and understand the history of nurse anesthesia. 30:51 – What’s the difference between DNPs vs PhD? 34:38 – When did history get taken out of the nurse anesthesia curriculum? 39:17 – History of the CRNA journal and other achievements. 42:13 – Closing thoughts from both guests.

Peripheral nerve blocks are a growing type of regional anesthesia and there’s an app out there that serves as a reference guide for CRNAs. We brought on Block Buddy co-founders Scott Urigel and Jeff Molter to find out how the idea was developed and how it’s benefiting the industry. Check out the full show notes for this episode by clicking here. ----more---- Today's rundown:  1:38 – To Block or Not to Block: That is the question 2:00 – Introducing our guests: Scott Urigel and Jeff Molter. 2:26 – Who are our guests today? 4:05 – How difficult was it to develop the Block Buddy app? 6:39 – How long did the process take? 8:57 – The app has evolved quite a bit since it was first published. 9:37 – How are CRNAs utilizing blocks now? 10:30 – What we’ve been seeing from large anesthesia companies in Ohio. 12:12 – There’s always a learning curve and peripheral nerve blocks are no different. 13:53 – When we first started doing it, we thought it was the worst idea. 15:18 – Some locations nationwide have limitations on blocks in our practice. 17:03 – Block Buddy is hosting its own conferences and programs now. 20:30 – Is there a financial opportunity for CRNAs? 22:08 – How can a CRNA that learns this skill go out and benefit from it? 24:38 – Congratulating Scott for a great award he just won. 25:17 – Jeff won Ohio CRNA of the Year.

Protecting yourself should be a priority for every CRNA and often times it’s easy to think that you’re already covered. But there are many options to consider with malpractice insurance, from the policy type to the company that you purchase the policy through. John Fetcho, Director of AANA Insurance Services, joins us to these differences and clear up any misconceptions we might have. See the full show notes on our website here.----more---- Take a look at the rundown for this episode: 1:40 – Welcome John Fetcho – Director of AANA Insurance Services 2:47 – Why is this topic of malpractice insurance so important? 4:50 – You want to understand who is insuring you and what coverage you have. 7:16 – Occurrence coverage vs claims made 10:45 – The two types of insurance companies: Admitted and Non-Admitted 14:30 – When CRNA is involved in a claim, 100% of the time there are legal expenses. 15:28 – How can you find ratings for insurance companies? 17:51 – Insurance policies aren’t created equally. There are significant differences. 20:39 – Are moonlighting policies still available? 21:42 – A real-life story about a how a supplemental policy could have made a huge difference. 24:26 – How the policy premiums different state to state. 30:00 – AANA is there as a resource for members. 31:11 – AANA premiums for CRNAs have gone down 33% since they began.

This week, we have the pleasure of speaking with Tom Baribeault, Chief CRNA at Lexington Surgery Center and Founder of the Society for Opioid Free Anesthesia (SOFA). He discusses his personal experiences with eliminating opioids in his own practice, and the challenges of breaking away from standard anesthesia practices. Tune in to find out what kind of opoid replacements are being used, as well as how you can begin to implement non-opioid strategies with your patients.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect at the beginning of this year, created a lot of changes that will heavily affect the taxes that CRNAs pay over the next several years. Jeremy will walk you step-by-step through some new options that you should consider taking advantage of, as well as some hazards that could trip you up if you're not in the know.

We turn the spotlight now to Helen Lamb, who spearheaded the efforts to standardize education across nurse anesthesia programs nationwide. Her vision for the future of nurse anesthesia education led to certification and accreditation and resulted in the very first standard curriculum for CRNAs.

This week, we'll continue our Historical Series with a look into the life and career of Alice Magaw. With a keen attention to detail and an unprecedented record of safety, she gained recognition around the world as a leader, teacher, published author and innovator in her field, and ultimately became known as the mother of anesthesia.