Beyond The Mask: Innovation & Opportunities For CRNAs

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

Adam Flowe, MSN, CRNA returns to Beyond the Mask for a follow-up conversation on onco-anesthesia, cancer research, and the rapidly changing tools that may shape the future of care. After stepping away from a longtime leadership role at Duke and moving into a smaller practice setting, Adam reflects on career change, identity, and the importance of staying open to growth.
The conversation then turns to one of the biggest unresolved questions in anesthesia: does the anesthetic technique used during cancer surgery affect long-term cancer outcomes? Adam discusses why several major research studies were expected to provide clarity, how funding cuts have stalled key randomized controlled trials, and why providers are still left with more questions than answers.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🤖 AI Revolution: Transforming anesthesia and patient care
🧬 Cancer Research: Understanding the impact of funding cuts
📈 Emerging Trends: Why cancer rates are rising in younger adults
💉 Smarter Medicine: Personalizing anesthesia with artificial intelligence
📚 Lifelong Learning: Preparing for the future of healthcare
 
Check out the first part of this Onco-Anesthesia conversation with Adam: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/the-connection-between-cancer-anesthesia-with-adam-flowe/5356/
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

One of the biggest events in our profession is coming up in a few weeks, and the AANA Annual Congress in Boston will provide countless opportunities for RNs and future CRNAs. With educational sessions, networking opportunities, career resources, workshops, and special events happening throughout the week, having a plan can make a major difference.
With ​so ​much ​going on ​throughout ​the ​week, ​we ​thought ​it ​would ​be ​a ​perfect ​time ​to ​bring ​on ​some ​people ​who ​make ​all ​of ​this ​happen. So today Levi sits down with Hallie Evans, DNP, CRNA - AANA Senior Director of Education and Professional Development, Julie Rossberger, AANA Manager of Member Engagement and Experience, and Becky Frese, AANA Professional Practice Specialist to highlight the programming created specifically for RNs and nurse anesthesia residents.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
🗺️ Curated Tracks: Follow programming designed for RNs and residents
🤝 Build Connections: Meet peers, leaders, faculty, and future employers
🎤 Interview Practice: RNs can receive direct feedback from CRNA faculty
🧠 Resident Support: Explore wellness, career, and transition resources
🎉 Congress Experience: Make time for education, networking, and community
 
Know Before You Go: RN Edition
Navigating Congress 2026: Your Guide to Making the Most of the Experience
Date: 8/18/26
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm CST
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YleziCZaSqagv7GI5hOPQA
 
2026 Annual Congress Homepage: https://www.aana.com/premier-event/annual-congress/
Full Congress Schedule: https://www.aana.com/premier-event/annual-congress/live-schedule/
 
Resident Highlights: https://www.aana.com/premier-event/annual-congress/residents/
RN Highlights: https://www.aana.com/premier-event/annual-congress/rns/
 
Know Before You Go: RRNA Edition
Congress 2026 for Residents: Your Guide to Learning, Networking, and Success
Date: 8/17/2026
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm CST
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YleziCZaSqagv7GI5hOPQA
 
Learn more about AANA Annual Congress: https://www.aana.com/premier-event/annual-congress/ 
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

In this episode, Sharon and Jeremy welcome President and CEO of Aurnova University Linda Caccamo, CRNA, DNP, MS, MBA, MHA, to discuss why advanced business education is becoming an increasingly valuable asset for healthcare professionals. With more than 30 years of clinical anesthesia experience, Linda understands what it takes to create academic programs that meet today’s workforce needs and we’ll explore all areas of that in this conversation.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🎓 Leadership Development: Why clinical expertise isn't always enough
💼 Business Education: How MBAs and MHAs open new opportunities
🤖 AI in Healthcare: Preparing for the next wave of innovation
🚀 Career Growth: Expanding your influence beyond patient care
🤝 Mentorship Matters: Standing on the shoulders of those before us
 
Check out ’10 Leadership Roles That Open Up With Your MHA in 2026’: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/MHA-10-Careers-2606.pdf
 
Learn more about Aurnova University: https://aurnova.com/
 
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

How much does the clinical learning environment shape the future of nurse anesthesia?
In this episode of Airway Exchange, Greg and Erin welcome Richard Wilson, DNAP, CRNA, FAANA to discuss his groundbreaking research on incivility among CRNA preceptors. Together, they examine groundbreaking research showing that more than three-quarters of nurse anesthesia residents reported experiencing some form of incivility during training, while exploring why these situations occur and what educators, preceptors, and clinical leaders can do to improve the experience for everyone involved.
Rather than simply identifying the problem, this conversation focuses on practical solutions.
 
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🏥 OR Culture: Understanding incivility in clinical education
📊 New Research: What 300+ survey responses revealed
🧠 Resilience vs. Wellness: Preparing students for difficult environments
🤝 Preceptor Training: Equipping mentors for success
📈 Leadership Impact: Why healthy cultures improve recruitment and retention 
 
Follow @AirwayExchangePodcast on Instagram
Submit a Topic: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airway-exchange-podcast-request
 
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 welcome Richard Henker, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN, whose work with the World Health Organization and the G4 Alliance is helping reshape global anesthesia through data. We’ll explore ​how ​the ​Operative ​and ​Encounter ​Registry ​serves ​as ​a ​simple ​point ​of ​care ​tool ​that ​allows ​anesthesia ​providers ​to ​capture ​essential ​surgical ​and ​anesthesia ​data, ​making ​our ​care ​visible ​in ​ways ​it ​hasn't ​been ​before.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🌍 Global Advocacy – Using data to influence healthcare policy worldwide
📊 The Operative Encounter Registry – Making anesthesia care measurable
🏥 Improving Access – Why data matters for expanding surgical care
👩‍⚕️ The Role of CRNAs – Supporting safe anesthesia in underserved regions
🤝 Building the Future – Collaboration with WHO, IFNA, and G4 Alliance
 
Join Sharon at the Nurse Anesthesia Update in the Bahamas: https://www.nurseanesthetist.com/events/nurse+anesthesia+update+2026/
About our guest: https://wcna2026.com/speakers/dr-richard-henker/
Learn more about the Operative Encounter Registry: https://theg4alliance.org/oer-cop/
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