You’ve probably already noticed that most of our colleagues in nurse anesthesia look pretty similar. Through innovation and educational pipelines, the industry is working to improve the diversity in our workforce, which will lead to better healthcare outcomes for all. Sonya Moore, DNP, CRNA, joins the show to talk about her experiences as a minority in healthcare and how she’s helping drive change through her LEAP program.
Check out the timestamps below to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
On This Episode:
When you think about all the ways to improve the care each patient receives, one way we can immediately make an impact is by improving diversity in nurse anesthesia. Having a variety of backgrounds and perspectives will lead to better healthcare options for all.
So how do we do that?
It’s a great question and one that Sonya Moore, DNP, CRNA, is trying to address through her Leadership Excel and Achievement Program. As a CRNA for nearly 25 years and one that first learned about this profession through an internship early in life, Moore noticed the lack of diversity in every health setting she worked in and she wanted to change that.
Today we’ll talk to her about how innovation can lead us to improve this area of our profession as well as the education pipeline. Learn more about her experience in the industry and what the LEAP program is all about.
As you get started on the episode, keep an ear out for these topics:
- How she became interested in anesthesia while growing up in the inner-city.
- The lack of diversity she noticed in every setting she worked in early on and how that motivated her to stick to the profession.
- The different systemic barriers that make it more difficult for minorities.
- Why a diverse workforce improves healthcare for everyone.
- What the Leadership Excel and Achievement Program (LEAP) is and why she created it.
- Why the program might be more affordable and accessible than you might think.
- Diversity in the educational system.
Check it out the interview at the top of the page and use the timestamps to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
[5:25] – Background on Sonja
[7:21] – Getting started in anesthesia
[14:28] – Systemic barriers
[17:29] – Importance of a diverse workforce
[22:30] – Finding common ground
[30:41] – The LEAP program
[38:46] – How the program works
[42:47] – Program costs and acceptance rates
[48:13] – Final thoughts
To learn more about the Emma Kate fundraiser event: https://halosofthestcroixvalley.com/
“What led me to keep doing the work was everywhere I went to work, I was the only minority. Whether it was a rural area…or a major care team model at a teaching facility, I was still the only one or maybe there were a couple more minorities there.”
-Sonya Moore, DNP, CRNA
