Current Events

Ep 250: Strengthening Advocacy Efforts with the AANA’s New Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer Ingrida Lusis

We had a chance to spend some time with the new AANA Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer Ingrida Lusis during our time at the mid-year assembly to learn more about her background in government affairs and how she plans to strengthen advocacy by bringing state and federal affairs all under one umbrella. Join Sharon and guest host Tracy Castleman, CRNA, as we go on the offensive with our newest advocacy leader.

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Ep 248: Hear from the Candidates for 2023-24 AANA Board of Directors

Voting started this week for the next round of AANA Board of Directors elections, and we want to help you get to know your candidates a little better. Thanks to our friends at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, we will share the opening statements from the Board of Director Candidates’ Forum during the Mid-Year Assembly so you can hear first-hand from each of the talented CRNAs running for office.

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Ep 247: The Commission for Nurse Reimbursement with Rebecca Love

The issue of reimbursement is one that we’ve covered from many different perspectives on this show but now it’s time to take the problem into our own hands. Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL is leading a commission for nurse reimbursement to tackle this broken financial model once and for all. Today we’ll tell you all about the commission’s plan and why we think this will transform the healthcare system and help end the terrible nursing crisis our country is facing.

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Ep 244: Military CRNAs – Lessons Learned & Lives Well Lived

Janet Setnor, MSN, CRNA is a retired Colonel with the US Air Force Reserve Nurse Corps and someone we talked to last year about how she helped bring full practice authority to that branch of the military. Today she joins us to tell us more about her time in the military, how it helped prepare her for civilian life, and what she thinks will happen with the VA issue still being debated.

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Ep 235: 2023 AANA Update with CEO, Bill Bruce

Bill Bruce, MBA, CAE, took over as the CEO of the AANA last summer so we caught up with him to get an update on how the organization has progressed over his first eight months. It’s already been a busy term already with staffing changes and the AANA moving into a new building, but there are many policy issues to be managed and addressed as well. Join us as we find out what’s happening inside the AANA and how the organization is tackling key issues.

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Ep 234: The State of Nursing Today with Becky Patton

We focus quite a bit on specific people or issues in nursing, but it’s always great to take a few steps back and take a high-level view of the profession. Today we’re excited to welcome someone who has been incredibly influential and has used that position to give back through service and endowment. Becky Patton, DNP, RN, CNOR, FAAN joins the show to give us a thorough assessment of the state of nursing today and address some of the industry’s key questions and challenges.

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Ep 231: How to Care for People with a Substance Use Disorder

Today’s guest has spent a lot of her time in recent years trying to help educate people in this area. Leigh Taylor, DNP, MS, CRNA, APRN, presented at the AANA Annual Congress, which is where we first saw her and knew it’s a topic we wanted to spend more time discussing on the podcast.

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Ep 225: An Inside Look at Lobbying for Your State Association

During our visit to the NCANA meeting last fall, we had the opportunity to host a live podcast about lobbying for your state association and we had the pleasure of bringing NCANA lobbyists Patrick Ballantine and Tracy Kimbrell onto the panel with us. Both of them have been tremendous assets to our association because of their passion for lobbying. We explored that role to find out what skills it takes, how to utilize a lobbyist, and what you should expect from them.

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Ep 219: The Future of Healthcare & Anesthesia with Scott Becker

As we put the finishing touches on another year, we didn’t want to use this time looking backward. Instead, we want to zoom out and get a better idea of where healthcare is headed. Who better to discuss this than Scott Becker, who is the founder of Becker’s Healthcare and someone who has his finger on the pulse of the industry.

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Ep 214: Where is VA CRNA Practice Headed?

The VA CRNA practice has been a topic of importance for a while because the VA hospital is the largest healthcare system in the country and currently employs more than 1,100 CRNAs. The worry is that if it fails, it will have a huge domino effect across the country. So what direction is the Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists (AVANA) headed?

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Ep 212: Thankful for the AANA and Its Ongoing Efforts for CRNAs

It hasn’t been the easiest year for a lot of people, but we know there’s still plenty to be grateful for as we approach another Thanksgiving. Specifically, we wanted to shine the light on the AANA and everything they do for our profession each year. New AANA President Angie Mund, DNP, CRNA is a friend of the show and someone we appreciate quite a bit so we wanted to spend some time with her on this holiday to talk about everything she’s hoping to accomplish over the next year.

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Ep 210: The Dangers of Button Batteries & the Immediate Care Required

When Sharon visited the NCANA meeting in Wilmington, she sat through a lecture full of people with children and grandchildren that were panicked listening to the speaker. It was eye-opening and something we wanted to bring awareness to because it can be avoided. The person speaking that day was Emily Funk, DNP, CRNA and we asked her to come on to talk to us about the danger of button batteries and the harm they can cause almost immediately when ingested.

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Ep 204: CRNA Strong – Inspirational Stories from Four CRNAs

  Check out the timestamps below to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed. On This Episode: Our profession is filled with incredible individuals who are resourceful and know how to make the most out of whatever comes their way in the operating room and in life. During our time at the AANA…

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Ep 203: The Future of Anesthesia with NorthStar CEO & CAO

  Check out the timestamps below to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed. On This Episode: There’s been a huge strain put on the anesthesia business in recent years due to the way that hospitals and surgeries have changed, and there’s some uneasiness about what it could mean for the future. Today…

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Ep 200: Exploring the Power of Nursing and Its Future Impact on Healthcare

As we celebrate the release of our 200th episode, it seemed fitting to shine the spotlight on the profession as a whole and the people who devote their lives to helping others. Many CRNAs, and nurses in general, don’t give themselves enough credit for the work they do every day. So today we’re going to take a big picture look at the power of nursing and the innovation we’re doing that could change healthcare with Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL.

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We Have an Exciting Show Announcement to Make

We’ve been waiting for a little while to let the cat out of the bag but it’s finally time to make an exciting announcement about the future of the podcast.

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Ep 198: An Upcoming Opportunity for All Doctoral Students

Earlier this year we spoke to Marianne Cosgrove, CRNA, DNAP, APRN, PhD, on the podcast and she emailed us later about a student that would like to come on the podcast to discuss their doctoral project. At that moment, a lightbulb went off and we realized this is a great opportunity for other students to do the same. Today we’ll introduce the committee we’ve put together, explain the application process, and lay out our goals for what’s to come.

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Ep 197: Healthcare Provider Wellness and Self-Care

If COVID taught us anything, it’s that it’s just as important for healthcare workers to take care of their own health as it is to take care of others. It’s a shift away from how we’ve al-ways thought about providing care, but it’s necessary for the wellness of CRNAs and all workers. Today we’ll talk with Matthew Zinder, CRNA, who is a co-founder of the upcoming Provider Wellness Symposium, about tips and suggestions for improving yourself and we’ll find out more about what his event will offer.

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Ep 196: Trying to Solve the Healthcare Credentialing Problem

  Any CRNA who’s gone through the credentialing process knows how inefficient and frustrating it can be. There’s got to be a better way right? Andi Stamper, DNP, CRNA and Kiki Mattress, MSNA, CRNA are working to streamline this process through their company, HealthShield Credentialing. The pair joins the podcast today to tell us more…

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Ep 195: Meet the New AANA CEO, Bill Bruce

The AANA introduced its new CEO earlier this summer and Bill Bruce, MBA, CAE has already hit the ground running. So what does a non-CRNA bring to the organization? We got the opportunity to sit down with him to learn more about his background, his leadership style, and how he hopes to engage and build trust with members.

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