No one ever expects to be a part of a lawsuit but situations arise where CRNAs have to answer questions under oath. It’s an intimidating process, especially for someone who’s never been a part of a trial before, but we’ll help prepare you for a deposition by explaining the process and how you can protect yourself.
Click the timestamps below to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
***CE CREDIT ALERT: We are excited to share a series of podcasts in partnership with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists as part of their new video and audio streaming platform, the CRNA Knowledge Network. For currently active members of the AANA, you can earn FREE Class A Continuing Education Credit by listening to these CE-approved podcasts on their platform!
Visit AANACKN.com and log in with your AANA User ID and Password to access the audio sessions for these particular episodes.
Note, some episodes are pending CE approval and may have an expiration date.
On This Episode:
Working in the medical industry can be a rewarding career, but there are times when things aren’t all positive. Procedures don’t go as planned or someone has an adverse reaction and it leads to a lawsuit.
Whether you’re directly involved or not, you might be called upon to take part in a deposition. You’ll have to answer questions under oath and it can be difficult to remember all of the details about a day that happened a long time ago. So how can you expect this process to go?
We brought on Steve Mund, DNP, CRNA, FACHE, CENP to help us understand depositions and why it’s important for every CRNA to know how they can be affected. This episode of the Beyond the Mask podcast will answer many of the questions you might have.
We’ll have Steve explain what might lead a CRNA to be deposed, why it’s important to have a lawyer representing you personally, and the steps you need to take to protect yourself from any future legal action. And what about the deposition itself? How important is your demeanor and how should you react if you make a mistake?
We understand that no one wants to be involved in a legal proceeding but that’s not a reason to be unprepared. This is an episode that will benefit every CRNA and give you the knowledge you need to protect yourself and your career. Plus, you can get a continuing education credit from the AANA for listening to this episode. Go to AANACKN.com to get the details.
Check it out at the top of the page and use the timestamps to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
2:23 – Today we’re joined by Steve Mund.
4:07 – Why is this topic so important?
4:59 – Here’s what got Steven interested in depositions.
7:14 – Why would a CRNA ever need to be deposed?
8:26 – Steve explains the deposition process.
10:46 – You need to have a lawyer that represents you personally.
13:26 – It’s important to understand your insurance policy and what it says.
15:44 – So I’m being sued, what do I do?
17:16 – How often do administrators have to deal with lawsuits?
18:38 – How are depositions different from trials?
21:13 – Being deposed makes people nervous. Here’s what you can do to make sure you don’t speak out of turn.
22:28 – Charting is extremely important.
24:24 – What do you do if you make a mistake while you’re testifying?
26:58 – If you feel like you’re losing your cool in that environment, what should you do?
29:48 – Why your demeanor can affect your deposition.
32:51 – What training or resources are available to CRNAs?
37:13 – Final thoughts on the subject.
“We don’t think about it everyday we do our job but every medical record we have is our record of the event. And we have to make sure they’re accurate and that we then use those records if for some reason we find ourselves in some sort of unfortunate situation of being sued.”
-Steve Mund, DNP, CRNA, FACHE, CENP
