Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

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 strategic direction.
📊 AANA wants to strengthen the research and data needed to demonstrate safety, evaluate care models, support CRNA practice, and make stronger advocacy arguments.
🏛️ Policy remains a major priority.
📱 AANA is investing in new digital resources.
📈 There are strong signs of growth across the CRNA profession.
 
Join Sharon at the Nurse Anesthesia Update in the Bahamas: https://www.nurseanesthetist.com/events/nurse+anesthesia+update+2026/
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
Want to get CE Credit for listening? Go here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/special-announcement-ce-credt/
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1

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 relationships
💪 Find Resilience: Community helps students reset and recharge
🌎 See the Profession: Nurse anesthesia extends far beyond clinicals
🚀 Get Involved: Leadership and advocacy opportunities start early
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/grade-1-view/
Visit the AANA Resident Hub: https://www.aana.com/resident-hub/ 
Help us grow by leaving a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-mask-innovation-opportunities-for-crnas/id1440309246

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 more support than standard oxygen devices can provide
📊 Improve Monitoring: Better positioning of the capnography sampling port may produce more useful CO2 data
💨 Deliver Oxygen Smarter: Device design can affect laminar versus turbulent oxygen flow
⚠️ Reduce Workarounds: Modifying equipment can add workload, inconsistency, and potential liability
🤝 Work as a Team: CRNAs and anesthesiologists can improve care by sharing knowledge and adopting better tools together
 
Steps to request your free AERIS Airway sample:
1. Visit https://airwayinnovations.com/2. In the upper-right-hand corner of the homepage, click “Request a Free Sample” and complete the sample request form3. An AERIS Airway sample kit will ship within one business day
 
Download the Aeris Airway brochure: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nxqSBMlbNhsdgiw6ylFXrr6VvSimD9Km/view?usp=drivesdk 
 
Read Dr. Rene Gonzalez’s study: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AERIS-Airway-AA-Practice.pdf
Join Sharon at the Nurse Anesthesia Update in the Bahamas: https://www.nurseanesthetist.com/events/nurse+anesthesia+update+2026/
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
Want to get CE Credit for listening? Go here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/special-announcement-ce-credt/
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1

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.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🧠 Think like a provider
⚖️ Aptitude + attitude matter
🎓 GPA doesn't tell the whole story
🗣️ Don't over-rehearse the interview. 
💪 Grit matters after admission. 
 
Follow @AirwayExchangePodcast on Instagram
Submit a Topic: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airway-exchange-podcast-request
 
Check out Leah’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Provider-Mindset-Competitive-Anesthesiology-Applicant/dp/B0HBH41K68/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IF2OB7CQT8N8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0utxwlqY0puqcQw3fJ3ueg.v5xgea8qbj8MhV32XnnMzPgvkmfRcI3LGUo9demDEdc&dib_tag=se&keywords=leah+gordon+crna&qid=1787008810&sprefix=leah+gordon+crna%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-1 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
Get the CE Certificate here (and directly submit to the NBCRNA): https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf
Help us grow by leaving a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-mask-innovation-opportunities-for-crnas/id1440309246

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 Restoration: Early treatment can improve sudden sensorineural hearing loss
⚠️ Safety Matters: Regulated hospital care is very different from wellness-center hyperbarics
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
Want to get CE Credit for listening? Go here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/special-announcement-ce-credt/
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1

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 helped build her confidence, what students can learn from difficult days, and why preserving the history of nurse anesthesia has become such an important part of her legacy.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
🩺 Early Calling: Sharon knew she wanted to be a nurse from childhood and found anesthesia soon after
🧠 Learn From Everyone: Students have a unique opportunity to borrow the best habits from every CRNA they work with
💪 Hard Days Matter: Difficult clinical experiences often become the lessons you remember most
🤝 Mentors Leave Marks: A few words of encouragement can shape an entire career
🏛️ Know the History: Understanding where the profession came from helps future CRNAs understand where it can go
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/grade-1-view/
Visit the AANA Resident Hub: https://www.aana.com/resident-hub/ 
Help us grow by leaving a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-mask-innovation-opportunities-for-crnas/id1440309246

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.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🎨 Creativity Matters: A lifelong interest in art eventually became the foundation for a business
🧠 Ignorance Can Help: Being a beginner forced Mike to build a system that other beginners could understand
🦈 Take the Shot: A casual Shark Tank application eventually led to a national television appearance
📈 Start Small: Legit Kits began with roughly $2,000 and grew by testing the idea before making bigger bets
🚀 Do the Thing: Progress came from acting, learning, adjusting, and refusing to wait for perfect conditions
 
Watch the Shark Tank appearance: https://youtu.be/1D_Zxseg0FU 
Watch the YouTube music video: https://youtu.be/a5dCJezwX0I?si=ELR74lT_st-C5HDw 
Check out Legit Kits: www.legitkits.com 
Check out the book ‘Landlord Away Your Student Loan Debt’: https://a.co/d/07afgW7X 
 
Join Sharon at the Nurse Anesthesia Update in the Bahamas: https://www.nurseanesthetist.com/events/nurse+anesthesia+update+2026/
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
Want to get CE Credit for listening? Go here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/special-announcement-ce-credt/
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1

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 academic life. Their experience offers a practical model for strengthening the nurse anesthesia faculty pipeline.
Here's what you'll hear in this episode:
🎓 Start Early: Develop future educators while they are still students
🤝 Intentional Mentorship: Pair interested SRNAs with invested faculty members
📝 Teaching Preparation: Include lectures, item writing, assessment, and simulation
⏰ Protected Time: Clinical release makes meaningful participation possible
🌱 Faculty Pipeline: Graduates can return as prepared faculty or adjunct instructors
 
Learn more about the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia: https://www.nurseanesthesia.org/
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
Want to get CE Credit for listening? Go here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/special-announcement-ce-credt/
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1