The Digital Didactic: Reimagining How We Teach Anesthesia with Richard Wilson

On This Episode:

What happens when nurse anesthesia education moves beyond the traditional classroom?

Recorded at the AANA Annual Congress in Boston, Sharon and guest co-host Tracy Castleman, DNP, CRNA, APN-A, FAANA, sit down with longtime CRNA educator Richard Wilson, DNAP, CRNA, FAANA to explore how virtual classrooms, simulation, podcasts, VR, AI, and new teaching strategies are changing the way future CRNAs learn.

Richard explains how digital education can remove geographic barriers without lowering expectations and why his goal isn't to make anesthesia school easier, but to deliver rigorous education in ways that better fit how today's students learn.

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:

💻 Virtual learning can expand access without lowering standards.

🤝 Mentorship remains vital—even in a digital classroom.

🧠 Understanding matters more than memorization.

🥽 VR, podcasts, and AI are reshaping CRNA education.

🎓 Great education blends didactic learning with clinical experience.

Important Links: 

• • Join Sharon at the Nurse Anesthesia Update in the Bahamas

“We changed no standards. We just really changed the delivery of the content.”