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Faculty members are the backbone of every nurse anesthesia program, yet their own wellness is often overlooked. Over the next month, we’re shining the spotlight on wellness, and the first of three episodes features two special nurse anesthesia educator guests. Today, hosts Louisa Martin, PhD, CRNA and Erin Martin, APRN, CRNA, DNP sit down with Leigh Taylor, DNP, MS, CRNA and Crystal Hunnicutt, DNAP, CRNA, two leaders of the AANA Wellness Committee, to discuss the real challenges facing CRNA educators today.
From burnout, boundaries, and unrealistic expectations to COVID-era stress, staffing shortages, and the pressure to “do it all,” Leigh and Crystal open up about their personal wellness journeys and the structural issues impacting faculty across the country. You’ll hear practical strategies for healthier boundaries, realistic workloads, and modeling well-being for students. Plus, get insight into the AANA Wellness Ambassador microcredential and how faculty can leverage it to support themselves and their programs.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🩺 Faculty Wellness Is in Crisis - Strained staffing, expanded workloads, and unrealistic expectations are driving educator burnout.
🧠 Personal Stories That Sparked a Mission - Lee and Crystal share the losses and turning points that pulled them into wellness advocacy.
🧱 Boundaries Aren’t Optional - Why answering emails at 10 p.m., hiding stress, and “pushing through” is harming faculty culture.
🤝 Mentorship & Support Matter - Healthy programs have transparent communication, aligned workloads, and peer support.
🎓 AANA Wellness Microcredential - A powerful resource — and free for SRNAs — that builds campus-wide wellness awareness.
Important Links:
- Earn AANA Proficiency micro-credentials
- Wellness Resources
- Get Involved! Committee applications open in March
- Follow Airway Exchange on Instagram
- Submit a Topic for Airway Exchange
"We can hopefully through mentorship and programmatic initiatives, try to change this idea that you've got to kill yourself to be successful at this job."
