Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

Ep 219: The Future of Healthcare & Anesthesia with Scott Becker

As we put the finishing touches on another year, we didn’t want to use this time looking backward. Instead, we want to zoom out and get a better idea of where healthcare is headed. Who better to discuss this than Scott Becker, who is the founder of Becker’s Healthcare and someone who has his finger on the pulse of the industry.
We’re loaded with a long list of questions and have plenty we want to discuss, but we’re going to focus most of the conversation on anesthesia and the shortage of providers that will be a big issue heading into the new year and beyond. Having an outsider's perspective of our profession is incredibly valuable and we think you’ll agree after listening to everything he has to say.
 
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
How he started the business and how it’s evolved since the beginning. (4:02)
The shortage of anesthesia providers will be one of the big issues in healthcare in 2023. (7:46)
The future of CRNA salaries and whether pay increases are sustainable. (20:00)
Could a reimbursement model based on acuity be a possibility? (30:24)
Can rural hospitals survive in this current environment? (35:55)
What will health insurance look like in the future and what are the main challenges? (42:41)
What role does private equity play in the future of healthcare? (51:13)
What bold move(s) can CRNAs or our associations take now to position ourselves as healthcare leaders? (55:48)
 
About our guest: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/ 
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

Ep 218: Respiratory Q&A Test Prep

We’re shifting gears a bit in this episode by focusing on the examination side of anesthesia and hosting our first ever Q&A episode. Since students take a lot of tests in anesthesia school and CRNAs are prepping for the CPC examination, testing is a critical part of the profession.
As educators, Jeremy and Sass both write a lot of test questions so they’ll share their experience from that side of the test-taking process. They'll also give you methods to analyze the questions in a way that can help you narrow down to the correct answer. Hey...it's Q&A day, so let us know what you think.
 
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
Which measure is an accurate indicator of preoxygenation? (3:04)
Which effect explains the right work shift in the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve? (6:15)
Which factors cause a left work shift in the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve? (10:14)
Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction is inhibited by…? (12:58)
What is the infrared wavelength measured by pulse oximetry? (17:20)
Which inspiratory muscles are involved with supplemental inspiratory effort during times of respiratory distress? (23:09)
 
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

Ep 217: Doctoral Project Review – Optimizing Transition from SRNA to CRNA

Today we bring on our first DNAP candidate, Gerald Murphy, MS, CRNA, APRN, to share his Doctoral Scholarly Project and use this platform as the dissemination piece. He has focused his attention on the transition period for SRNAs moving into the workforce and beginning their career as CRNAs. This new independence can be overwhelming and a bit scary so improving that process and providing guidance for our newest professionals can be very valuable. 
 
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
Gerald’s background and why he chose this topic. (6:18)
What was his experience when he finished anesthesia school? (8:24)
The problem he found when reviewing the literature. (11:05)
What questions did he ask during his pilot survey and what did he want to gather from them? (16:11)
Are our anesthesia programs doing a good job preparing SRNAs for this transition? (23:40)
What can preceptors do to help the SRNAs? (27:51)
Advice for SRNAs. (34:10)
 
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

Ep 216: Identifying & Treating Imposter Phenomenon as a CRNA

It’s not something people openly talk about but feeling like you’re professionally inadequate happens to a lot of people. This is known as imposter phenomenon (IP) and it’s something that CRNAs deal with much more than you might realize. We’ve invited former CANA president Jeffrey Darna, PhD, DNP, CRNA, ACNP-BC onto the show to explain why high-achieving individuals have this self-perception of intellectual phoniness and what we can do to treat it.
 
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
What imposter phenomenon actually means and how it has evolved over decades. (4:58)
What triggers this within someone? (8:00)
The attributes that you’ll find in someone who has this. (13:24)
The different levels of intensity for imposter phenomenon. (14:46)
The ways you can treat IP if you are dealing with it. (20:37)
How prevalent is IP in the CRNA profession? (24:35)
Hear about our own experiences dealing with IP. (28:56)
 
About our guest: https://canainc.org/about/cana-spotlight/jeffrey-r-darna/ 
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
 

Ep 215: Anesthesia Management for Septic Shock

Today Jeremy and Sass talk about the third type of distributive shock, septic shock. They review the need-to-know info for this shock state based on the updated Surviving Sepsis Guidelines released in 2021. They'll walk you through a crisis checklist that will help you identify and manage septic shock. So, buckle up...it's go time! 
 
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
Case presentation for today’s patient (3:28)
Pathophysiology of Sepsis and septic shock. (7:50)
Signs and symptoms to look for. (12:31)
Management for septic shock. (15:47)
Things to think about if the patient comes to you in the operating room. (21:20)
Differential diagnosis in this scenario. (23:41)
 
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

Ep 214: Where is VA CRNA Practice Headed?

The VA CRNA practice has been a topic of importance for a while because the VA hospital is the largest healthcare system in the country and currently employs more than 1,100 CRNAs. The worry is that if it fails, it will have a huge domino effect across the country. So what direction is the Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists (AVANA) headed? Executive Director Peter Kallio, DNP, CRNA, APNP, FAANA, joins the show today to talk about the state of the VA and what they’re focused on improving for CRNAs.
 
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
The current state of the VA. (5:49)
The reason why so many VAs have one-to-one supervision. (7:56)
Why are there so many different types of models? (14:46)
Why VA CRNAs choose to work in that environment. (18:04)
The benefits that working for the government provides CRNAs. (20:57)
What can we do to improve the situation? (26:50)
 
About our guest: https://www.vacrna.com/
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
 

Ep 213: Moral Injury and Nurse Anesthesia

With the increased distress and rationing of care that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, the topic of Moral Injury (MI) has started to garner much more attention in the world of healthcare. This repeated conflict between an individual’s morality and the management of care causes a deep emotional wound that often drives workers out of the profession altogether. Jerry Hogan, DNSc, CRNA wrote an article about this subject, so we’ve asked him to explain the effects of MI and how CRNAs can resolve this conflict.
 
Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show:
How moral injury was first identified and the impact it has on nurses. (4:47)
Second victim vs Moral Injury (12:38)
What to do if you start to feel this? (18:45)
The effects of COVID on MI (21:50)
Can you step away from a situation you aren’t morally comfortable with? (27:40)
Resources are available for anyone dealing with MI. (34:39)
 
About our guest: https://pc.fsu.edu/person/gerard-hogan-dnsc-crna  
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

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