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On This Episode:
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 some of 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
Important Links:
“We teach SRNAs to become CRNAs in the clinical field, but we don’t really focus on teaching them to be teachers.”
