Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

Reimagining the Oral Airway: Innovation Born in the OR

Oral airways have looked basically the same for nearly a century despite dramatic changes in patient populations, sedation practices, and monitoring standards. What if a simple design change could bring significant improvements to safety and efficacy? In this episode, CRNA John Brown and entrepreneur Jason Keen of Arete Medical Devices share the story behind a newly designed oral airway that aims to solve problems anesthesia providers have quietly worked around for decades.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🫁 Why traditional oral airways no longer meet modern sedation needs
🔧 Designing an adjustable airway to reduce waste and mis-sizing
📉 Improving end-tidal CO₂ accuracy while lowering oxygen flow rates
🏥 Clinical testing across hospitals and surgery centers
🌱 Cost savings, plastic reduction, and sustainability in anesthesia tools
 
Learn more about Arete Medical Devices: https://aretemedicaldevices.com/ 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
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
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Authority Without Aggression: Leadership Skills Every CRNA Needs (Part 2)

Incivility doesn’t always announce itself loudly—it often creeps in quietly, becoming normalized in high-stress clinical environments. In this episode, Lynn and Garry are joined by leadership veteran Meri Gilman-Mays, CRNA, DNP to continue a candid conversation on addressing incivility in nurse anesthesia.
Part two of this conversation shifts from recognizing incivility to actively addressing it through leadership. We’ll challenge the notion that leadership requires a title, highlighting how CRNAs lead daily at the bedside, in the operating room, and through committee work. Listeners are invited to consider the impact of silence versus intervention and how modeling professionalism under pressure influences team culture.
After listening to this episode, participants will be able to:
Identify leadership behaviors that CRNAs can demonstrate regardless of formal title or position.
Apply real-time de-escalation strategies to address incivility while maintaining professionalism and authority.
Utilize a structured framework for conducting difficult follow-up conversations and ensuring accountability.
Describe strategies for fostering a culture of respect and psychological safety within anesthesia and perioperative teams.
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
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
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Grade 1 View – S2, E3 - Culturally Competent Care and the Importance of Representation

Representation in nurse anesthesia is about access, excellence, and belonging. It’s the responsibility of every CRNA to help shape the future of the profession in a way that affords opportunity and access to anyone who wants to pursue that goal. In this episode, hosts Nicolas and Kelsey are joined by two influential leaders in nurse anesthesia advocacy, Lena Gould, EdD, CRNA, FADLN, FAANA, FAAN and Vincent Ford, DNAP, CRNA, to talk candidly about diversity, mentorship, and responsibility.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
🎓 Why representation in textbooks, faculty, and leadership matters
🧠 Mentorship as the bridge between access and opportunity
🌍 Diversity of thought and experience drives better decisions at the institutional level.
🏫 Barriers in admissions and the push for holistic review
🌱 Paying it forward and shaping the next generation of CRNAs
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/grade-1-view/
Visit the AANA Resident Hub: https://www.aana.com/resident-hub/ 
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The McMechans & the Origins of the CRNA–Physician Conflict

From the very beginning of nurse anesthesia, opposition was organized, strategic, and relentless. Two central figures who devoted their careers to making anesthesia a physician-only specialty in the United States in the early 1900s were Frank and Laurette McMechan. Today, we’ll examine their lives and professional impact in this historical episode with our show historians Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🔥 Who Frank and Laurette McMechan were and why they mattered📜 Early efforts to eliminate nurse anesthesia in the U.S.🏛️ How physician anesthesia organizations were formed⚖️ Legal battles that protected CRNA practice🧠 Why understanding history is essential for the future of CRNAs
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
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
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1

Airway Exchange – Ep. 10 – How the Best CRNA Programs Approach Accreditation with Dr. Angie Mund

Accreditation can feel overwhelming, but when done well, it’s not a once-every-ten-years scramble. Dr. Angie Mund joins us this week to help reframe accreditation as an ongoing leadership practice that shapes program culture, faculty development, and student outcomes.
Drawing on decades of experience as a program director, department chair, and national leader, Dr. Mund explains what’s usually true long before a successful COA site visit ever begins. 
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
📁 Why accreditation should start on day one—not year ten
🧭 How strong processes prevent people and measurement problems
📝 Common self-study mistakes that undermine good programs
🎓 Mentoring faculty to take ownership of accreditation standards
🔍 Early warning signs that programs are drifting out of compliance
 
Follow @AirwayExchangePodcast on Instagram
Submit a Topic: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airway-exchange-podcast-request
 
Be a part of EDGE: Educate. Develop. Grow. Engage. >>  https://www.aana.com/premier-event/edge/
 
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

Embracing AI: The Future of Anesthesia Care

Artificial Intelligence has become much more than a buzzword. It’s transforming industries as it rapidly evolves, and the big question for CRNAs is what does this mean for anesthesia providers? Sharon and guest co-host Larry Sears, CRNA sit down with CRNA educator and technology thought leader Richard Wilson, DNPA, CRNA, FAANA to explore how AI is quietly reshaping perioperative care, education, and decision-making in the operating room.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🤖 Generative vs. predictive AI, and why the difference matters
📉 Predicting hypotension and adverse events in real time
🫀 AI-driven ventilators, monitoring, and micro-learning systems
🧠 Why AI can’t replace vigilance, intuition, or clinical judgment
🎓 How students and educators are already using AI responsibly
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
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
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1

Culture Matters: How Everyday Behaviors Shape CRNA Well-Being (Part 1)

Workplace culture in anesthesia doesn’t just live in policies or mission statements, it shows up in hallways, handoffs, and yes, even the lounge. In Part I of this conversation, Lynn and Garry welcome guest Meri Gilman-Mays, CRNA, DNP, for an honest, thoughtful conversation about incivility in the perioperative environment and how it quietly shapes the daily experiences of nurse anesthetists.
Part I focuses on awareness as the first step toward change. By helping CRNAs recognize incivility in its many forms and understand its ripple effects on wellness, teamwork, and patient care, this conversation invites reflection rather than blame. It’s an educational yet relatable dialogue designed to validate lived experiences and encourage healthier, more respectful professional environments one interaction at a time.
Here’s some of what we’ll discuss:
⚠️ What incivility actually looks like in anesthesia practice
🏥 Power dynamics between CRNAs, physicians, and students
🧠 How unchecked behavior leads to burnout and moral distress
🗣️ Why silence, eye-rolling, and dismissal are not harmless
🧩 The leadership gap fueling toxic workplace cultures
 
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
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
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1

Grade 1 View – S2, E2 – Applying to CRNA School - Rejection, Reapplying, and Resilience

Applying to CRNA school can feel overwhelming—stats, GPAs, ICU experience, GRE scores, interviews, and endless comparisons to peers and strangers alike. It’s easy to talk yourself out of applying (or reapplying) so today we’re going to back the curtain on the application process and share our real, unfiltered journeys to CRNA school.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
📄 What the CRNA application process really feels like
🚫 Handling rejection, waitlists, and “not this cycle” moments
🧠 Interview formats: emotional intelligence vs. clinical knowledge
📈 How to strengthen your application when reapplying
💪 Why resilience and authenticity matter more than stats
 
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