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In the premiere episode of Airway Exchange, the new series from AANA and Beyond the Mask Podcast, hosts Nickie Damico, Greg Collins, Erin Martin, and Louisa Martin introduce themselves and share the vision for the podcast: to empower educators, inspire students, and build community across the nurse anesthesia profession.
The host team reflects on the 2025 AANA Annual Congress; the experiences their students had at the event, the importance of mentorship and faculty wellness, and why creating a space for ongoing connection outside of conferences is so vital. You’ll hear candid perspectives on the joys and struggles of academia—everything from balancing rigor with wellness to navigating student evaluations and embracing innovation in education.
This is the start of an ongoing conversation designed to enrich, encourage, and connect nurse anesthesia educators everywhere.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🎙️ New series launch – A podcast created by and for CRNA educators.
👩🏫 Meet the hosts – Four faculty members from programs across the country.
🤝 Community building – Keeping the sense of connection alive beyond Congress and EDGE.
🧠 Faculty challenges – Balancing rigor, student wellness, and faculty well-being.
💡 Future focus – Innovative teaching practices, mentorship, and faculty development.
Important Links:
"I think that ability to interact with other students is probably the biggest advantage to having students at Annual Congress. I also think there is something magical about sitting in that opening ceremony with the excitement and the energy and just literally looking around and saying, “Wow, this is the community that I'm joining.” And we really tried to kind of hammer that home."
