Categories
Anesthesia Education Business/Finances

#108 – AANA Annual Congress Shout Out

What up yall!  This is a quick shout out to those of you headed to the AANA conference this weekend, August 2nd, 2024 in San Diego.  

I hope that yall have an incredible time and meet tons of new colleagues, see old friends and have fun gettin’ your learn on.  

I was talking to one of the SRNAs from the University of New England this morning in clinical and she’s was getting psyched for the conference this weekend.  AANA Annual Congress is one of those times where you can kind of lift your head up from the daily grind and look around & see thousands of other CRNAs & SRNAs or RRNAs from around the nation who are all out there doing their thing in anesthesia.  It’s such an inspiring time! 

While I will NOT be there reppin’ Anesthesia Guidebook, my clinical team from Maine Medical Center and MaineHealth will be.  

So first, why am I not putting up a booth and talking about Anesthesia Guidebook… first & foremost, I’m not trying to sell you something.  Anesthesia Guidebook is still anchored in the concept of free open access medical education.  There’s no subscription fee and I’m not trying to make money off of CE credits.  There’s a hundred other ways out there for you to make Class A credit and that just hasn’t become a professional focus on mine.  Which brings up the reminder that any anesthesia related podcast you listen to will qualify for free Class B credit in the CPC program.  If you’re a CRNA and you routinely listen to anesthesia podcasts, all you have to do is self-report your credits to the AANA and you’ll rack up those Class B credits super fast.

I actually did a brief podcast on this topic way back in Episode #9 of the podcast if you want to hear more about how to do that.

So while there’s no Anesthesia Guidebook table at AANA Annual Congress, you CAN go meet my good friends and colleagues from Maine Medical Center in the exhibition hall.  April Bourgoin, Jill Guzzardo and Danielle Beaumont will be there staffing the MaineHealth booth to tell yall about the amazing career opportunities within MaineHealth.  We have everything from level 1 trauma center work with my team at Maine Medical Center where I serve as chief CRNA to a  full independent practice location in Conway, NH to several other smaller town medical centers throughout Maine, including Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockland, where Jill is the chief CRNA.

So April Bourgoin will be out there this weekend.  Dr April Bourgoin one of our CRNA Supervisors at MMC, and she’s been on the show before talking about OR fires back in episode 93.  I actually just recorded an episode that I’m editing now with April and our CRNA Manager, Alison Kent, on how we do interviews as a leadership team at MMC.  That show is targeted towards other practice managers out there but is obviously also probably valuable for SRNAs as it gives you a behinds the scenes look at how we plan team interviews for people applying to be on our team.  So April’s out there… you can also meet Danielle Beaumont, our SRNA Clinical Coordinator at Maine Medical Center.  Danielle is amazing in that role as she supports SRN As from the University of New England and Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia.  Danielle also just helped us establish clinical affiliations with Boston College and Northeastern University.  We’re pumped to start welcoming primary anesthesia trainees from BC and NU in 2025.  And then last but not least is Jillian Guzzardo.  Jill is one of our per diem CRNAs at MMC but she also serves as the Chief CRNA at one of our MaineHealth sister hospitals, Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockland, Maine.  If you’re looking for a small town, coastal Maine community hospital to practice at, Jill is your girl!  Pen Bay is literally on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  You have close up water views from work.  It’s amazing…. I mean, you can also see the ocean from the top floors of Maine Medical Center, but at Pen Bay, you can probably see what the lobstermen are having for breakfast as they motor by in the morning… it’s right there.  Jill is one of my favorite CRNAs… after a few years of holding down the fort at Pen Bay as the chief CRNA, she reached out to me and asked if she could come work off shifts and weekends at Maine Medical Center to keep her high acuity patient care skills up.  She literally asked if I would give her the shifts that my core team doesn’t want to work…  nights, evenings and weekends.  I was blown away.  

All three of this CRNAs – April, Danielle and Jill – are baller clinicians.  I would let any of them take care of me or my family and just love working alongside them in the OR.  They’re also incredible CRNA leaders with a deep passion for helping SRNAs & CRNAs thrive in their practices. And they’re generally just inspiring, friendly humans…  Kind, generous, optimistic people… who are wicked smahat as we say here in New England.

So if you’re headed to AANA Annual Congress, even if you’re not looking to move your practice to Maine, do yourself a favor and go meet these incredible people.  April, Danielle and Jill will be pumped to meet you.

So that’s it… just wanted to drop a quick shoutout to those of you headed to AANA Annual Congress this weekend and say I hope it’s an amazing conference.  Go get your learn on, meet some new friends and stop by the MaineHealth booth and tell my friends I said hello.

And with that… I’ll see ya next time!

Categories
Anesthesia Education Preparing for Grad School/Residency Wellness

#106 – What we know about anesthesia school formatting – Cassie Capps

What’s up yall! I am back after a few months off from the podcast. This is episode 106 – following up: what we know about anesthesia school formatting with Cassie Capps.

This is a follow up show to the episode that Cassie brought to us back in December on the effects of anesthesia school didactic formatting on resident wellbeing… whether in-person, online, synchronous or asynchronous styles have any effect on your wellbeing as a trainee.

Before we get to this show, I’ve got a couple updates for you… our crew at Maine Medical Center has been on a bit of tour this spring attending conferences, job fairs and universities telling the story about our team and why we may be where you want to invest your career as an anesthesia provider. Cat Godfrey & April Bourgoin were just down at AANA’s Mid Year Assembly in Washington D.C. and then Cat made her way on to University of North Carolina at Greensboro to chat with the residents at Terry Wick’s program. She followed up dropping in on UNC-G with a virtual lunch & learn session with Mary Baldwin University’s anesthesia program over in Virginia. And then, Kristin and I just returned last week from Florida International University’s job fair down in Miami. We were so happy to know that even the locals thought it was super hot cause oooooooo….eeeeeeee… it was swimmy humid and all kinda hot down in the Sunshine State. We were stoked to meet a bunch of FIU anesthesia residents and tell yall about our absolutely gorgeous summers and four season climate up in Maine and how we’re probably where you want to start your career if you’re looking for a top notch level 1 trauma center to be at where you’re treated with respect, well-supported and want to join a thriving team that has a ton of fun working together. Just saying.

Part of my intention with Anesthesia Guidebook is to help CRNAs make a successful transition to practice and if you’re looking to do high acuity work in a busy tertiary medical center surrounded by an amazing team and in a phenomenal location, drop me a line and we can chat. I’d love to tell you more about our crew and see if we’re a good fit for where you’re headed.

In other news, this fall I’m teaching at Encore Symposium’s Autumn in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park conference. If you’re looking for a spot to come knock out some continuing education this year, Encore is headed back to Bar Harbor, Maine, which is just outside of Acadia National Park, from October 14-17. If you’ve never been to Acadia, or Bar Harbor or Maine… this is your chance. Come check it out. Acadia in October is simply stunning… a national park, on an island, in Maine. With your anesthesia friends! You’ll be hard pressed to find a cooler spot to come get your learn on. Hope to see you there!

All right… with that, let’s get to this show. Cassie Capps is back. We first heard from Cassie in late December 2024 on episode 99 of Anesthesia Guidebook and now she’s back to walk us through the impact of anesthesia school didactic formatting on resident wellbeing. Thank to everyone who took Cassie’s survey and provided your insights… the data was actually a bit surprising so let me re-introduce Cassie to you and then she’s gonna get right to it.

This podcast was part of Cassie Capps’ Doctor of Nursing Practice in anesthesiology program at the University of Arizona. Prior to anesthesia training, Cassie was a CVICU Registered Nurse for 8 years and worked in the cath lab for 5 years before that. Prior to nursing school, Cassie completed a Master’s degree in music with a focus on Piano Performance & Pedagogy. Cassie continued to teach piano on the side while completing her doctorate in anesthesiology at the University of Arizona.

Her unique experience with anesthesia school included moving through her program as a single mom of an 11 year old daughter. She also continues to play a big role in the lives of her two former stepdaughters, who are now young adults. 

This podcast is coming out in May of 2024 and with that, let’s get to the show!

References

Alajmi, B., & Alasousi, H. (2019). Understanding and motivating academic library employees: theoretical implications. Library management, 40(3/4), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-10-2017-0111

Baqutayan, S. M. S. (2015). Stress and Coping Mechanisms: A Historical Overview. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences; Vol 6, No 2 S1 (2015): March 2015https://www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/view/5927/5699

Berry, G. R., & Hughes, H. (2020). Integrating Work-Life Balance with 24/7 Information and Communication Technologies: The Experience of Adult Students With Online Learning. The American journal of distance education, 34(2), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1701301

Botha, E., Gwin, T., & Purpora, C. (2015). The effectiveness of mindfulness based programs in reducing stress experienced by nurses in adult hospital settings: a systematic review of quantitative evidence protocol. JBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports, 13(10), 21-29. https://doi.org/10.11124/jbisrir-2015-2380

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Poor nutritionhttps://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/nutrition.htm

Columbia University. (2022). How sleep deprivation impacts mental healthhttps://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-mental-health

Conner, M. (2015). Self-Efficacy, Stress, and Social Support in Retention of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists [Article]. AANA Journal, 83(2), 133-138. http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=102321364&site=ehost-live

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). (2020, 3/22/21). FAQ’s and statement regarding meeting clinical requirementshttps://www.coacrna.org/coa-statement-regarding-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). (2022). List of accredited educational programs. https://www.coacrna.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/List-of-Accredited-Educational-Programs-July-18-2022-1.pdf

Day, C. M. F., Lakatos, K. M., Dalley, C. B., Eshkevari, L., & O’Guin, C. (2022). The Experience of Burnout in the SRNA Population and Association With Situational and Demographic Factors. AANA Journal, 90(6), 447-453. 

Desmet, P., & Fokkinga, S. (2020). Beyond maslow’s pyramid: Introducing a typology of thirteen fundamental needs for human-centered design. Multimodal technologies and interaction, 4(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti4030038

Freitas, F. A., & Leonard, L. J. (2011). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and student academic success. Teaching and learning in nursing, 6(1), 9-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2010.07.004

Griffin, A., Yancey, V., & Dudley, M. (2017). Wellness and thriving in a student registered nurse anesthetist population. AANA Journal, 85(5), 325-330. 

Hale, A. J., Ricotta, D. N., Freed, J., Smith, C. C., & Huang, G. C. (2019). Adapting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a Framework for Resident Wellness. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 31(1), 109-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2018.1456928

Harwood, K. J., McDonald, P. L., Butler, J. T., Drago, D., & Schlumpf, K. S. (2018). Comparing student outcomes in traditional vs intensive, online graduate programs in health professional education. BMC medical education, 18(1), 240-240. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1343-7

Hoffman, H. J., & Elmi, A. F. (2020). Comparing Student Performance in a Graduate-Level Introductory Biostatistics Course Using an Online versus a Traditional in-Person Learning Environment. Journal of statistics and data science education, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10691898.2020.1841592

Imus, F. S., & Burns, S. (2015). What to Consider Before Beginning Graduate Education: A Pilot Study. AANA J, 83(5), 345-350. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26638456

Imus, F. S., Burns, S., & Weglarz, D. M. (2017). Self-efficacy and graduate education in a nurse Anesthesia program: A pilot study. AANA Journal, 85(3), 205-216. 

Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2023). How to improvehttps://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/HowtoImprove/ScienceofImprovementHowtoImprove.aspx

Kondo, M. C., Jacoby, S. F., & South, E. C. (2018). Does spending time outdoors reduce stress? A review of real-time stress response to outdoor environments. Health & place, 51, 136-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.03.001

Lowrance, J. (2023). Anesthesia Guidebookhttps://anesthesiaguidebook.com

Malek-Ismail, J. (2021). Thriving in the First Semester of Graduate School: A Process of Rebalancing and Self-Determination. The American journal of occupational therapy, 75(S2), 7512520410-7512520410p7512520411. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.75S2-RP410

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396. 

Mesisca, J., & Mainwaring, J. (2021). Stress, Anxiety, and Well-being in Nurse Anesthesia Doctoral Students. AANA J,89(5), 396-402. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34586993

Montag, C., Sindermann, C., Lester, D., & Davis, K. L. (2020). Linking individual differences in satisfaction with each of Maslow’s needs to the Big Five personality traits and Panksepp’s primary emotional systems. Heliyon, 6(7), e04325-e04325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04325

National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Table 9. Unduplicated headcount enrollment at Title IV institutions, by control of institution, student level, level of institution, and distance education status of student: United States, 2020–21. In: U.S. Department of Education.

Osaili, T. M., Ismail, L. C., ElMehdi, H. M., Al-Nabulsi, A. A., Taybeh, A. O., Saleh, S. T., Kassem, H., Alkhalidy, H., Ali, H. I., Al Dhaheri, A. S., & Stojanovska, L. (2023). Comparison of students’ perceptions of online and hybrid learning modalities during the covid-19 pandemic: The case of the University of Sharjah. PLoS One, 18(3), e0283513. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283513

Palmer, L., amp, J. M., Ren, D., & Henker, R. (2014). Comparison of Nurse Anesthesia Student 12 Lead EKG Knowledge, Interpretation Skill, Satisfaction and Attitude: Traditional Instruction vs. Asynchronous Online Video Lecture. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 10(3), 420-n/a. https://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/comparison-nurse-anesthesia-student-12-lead-ekg/docview/1650489030/se-2?accountid=8360

Papaleontiou–Louca, E., Esmailnia, S., & Thoma, N. (2022). A Critical Review of Maslow’s Theory of Spirituality. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 24(4), 327-343. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2021.1932694

Pecka, S. L., Kotcherlakota, S., & Berger, A. M. (2014). Community of inquiry model: Advancing distance learning in nurse anesthesia education. AANA Journal, 82(3), 212-218. 

Polit, D., & Beck, C. (2020). Nursing Research. Philadelphia, UNITED STATES Wolters Kluwer Health. 

Pressman, S. D., Gallagher, M. W., & Lopez, S. J. (2013). Is the Emotion-Health Connection a “First-World Problem”? Psychological science, 24(4), 544-549. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612457382

Wilson, J. T., Gibbons, S. W., & Wofford, K. (2015). Process Improvement: Addressing Attrition from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Nurse Anesthesia Program. AANA J, 83(5), 351-356. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26638457

Worthen, M., & Cash, E. (2022). Stress Management. StatPearls [Internet], Jan. 2022https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513300/

Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T. P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017). The impact of stress on body function: A review. Excli j, 16, 1057-1072. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2017-480

Categories
Anesthesia Education Clinical Tips Preparing for Grad School/Residency

#105 – The Impact of Precepting on Clinical Learning

What’s up yall! This is Jon Lowrance and this is episode 105 of Anesthesia Guidebook – the impact of precepting on clinical learning with Jennifer Heiden. This episode is coming out on February 21, 2024.

Jennifer Heiden is completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice in anesthesiology at the University of Arizona and this podcast is part of her doctoral work. In this episode, we’re going to walk through the behaviors, tips & techniques preceptors can do in order to positively impact the clinical learning outcomes of anesthesia residents. Jennifer wants to hear about your experiences either as an anesthesia trainee or as a clinical preceptor in the survey that is attached to this episode. The link is in the show notes. It’s a quick survey, totally anonymous and will be used to help Jennifer complete her doctoral project at the University of Arizona.

Survey Link is Here:

https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_88sSJwSor8yDoGy

Prior to anesthesia training, Jennifer worked in medical, surgical and cardiac ICUs for 8 years on the East and West coasts. Prior to nursing school, Jennifer completed a bachelor’s degree in finance from Boston University and lived in Colorado for almost twenty years hiking, running and climbing in the mountains. 

She currently lives in Temecula, California, and has been working through anesthesia school as a single mom to her 14-year-old son. She still enjoys climbing, running and spending time with her son and all their animals.

I hope you enjoy this show. The mission of Anesthesia Guidebook is to help you master your craft as a provider. The art & science of clinical precepting is foundational to raising the next generation of highly competent providers. I’m thrilled to take a fresh look at precepting with Jennifer and you can find lots of other shows on Anesthesia Guidebook that touch on clinical education with links to each of those in the show notes to this episode.

And if you’d like to get the show notes to these podcasts straight to your inbox, along with being the first to know when a new episode drops, subscribe to the show on the website. All that does is send you the episode & show notes, nothing more & no hidden agenda. It’s totally free and I will never sell or distribute your email. So if you want to be the first to know and have all the links right at your finger tips, subscribe to show at AnesthesiaGuidebook.com!

#8 – How to master precepting with Will C0hen

#21 – Best practices in precepting with Obinna Odumodo

#22 – The demo-do teaching technique

#55 – Incivility in the Workplace with Joshua Lea, DNP, MBA, CRNA & Kelly Gallant, PhD, CRNA

#74 – Thrive in Training: how to crush clinical

#75 – Thrive in Training: communicating with preceptors

Categories
Airway Anesthesia Education Anesthesia Equipment and Technology Cardiac Case Studies Clinical Tips Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Human Physiology and Pathophysiology Leadership in Emergencies Outpatient Anesthesia Pharmacology Preparing for Grad School/Residency

#104 – At-home cardiorespiratory events following ambulatory surgery – Chuck Biddle, PhD, CRNA

Chuck Biddle PhD, CRNA is a Professor Emeritus of anesthesiology at Virginia Commonwealth University and served as the editor in chief of the AANA Journal for 35 years.  His anesthesia education & master’s degree are from Old Dominion University and he completed his PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Missouri.  

Chuck is one of my favorite people in the world of anesthesiology.  He’s one of those folks who have put the time in over decades to develop a true, deep mastery of their profession while at the same time bringing with them a level of authenticity, integrity and humility that garners true respect.  He’s a guide.  He’s helped countless physician & nurse anesthesiology trainees develop and gain a love of the work we do.  And one of the central focuses of his career has been fervently working to understand the things that put our patients at risk and develop research and insights for practice to advance patient safety.

Which brings us to this show.  

In this episode, Dr Biddle turns our attention to what happens to patients after they go home from day surgery.  We talk about a study his team did at VCU where they sent patients home with pulse oximeter monitors and tracked their course for 48 hours following day surgery. 

We talk how novel this idea is in that very few studies have actually looked at what happens to patients following ambulatory surgery and that a certain segment of these patients – those who have obstructive sleep apnea are at particular risk for devastating postoperative complications.  Chuck points to Jonathan Benumof’s, MD 2016 article in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia titled Mismanagement of patients with obstructive sleep apnea may result in finding these patients dead in bed (full article below).  Dr Benumof is a world-renowned physician anesthesiology and expert in airway management and pulmonary physiology. He is a professor of anesthesiology at the University of California – San Diego’s School of Medicine. Over the 15 years prior to the publication of Dr Benumof’s article in which he served as an expert witness in litigation cases, he testified on 12 cases where OSA patients died within 48 hours of surgery.  In  the article, he unpacks each of those cases and provides the following prototypical dead in bed OSA patient:

“A 58-yr-old continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)-compliant male (170 cm, 120 kg, body mass index 40 kgm-2) with polysomnography (PSG)-proven severe OSA undergoes orthopedic, upper airway, or abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. The patient has an uncomplicated stay in the postanesthesia care unit until discharged to an unmonitored bed without CPAP or oxygen. After receiving small (and within standard of care) doses of narcotics for pain for 11 hr, the patient is found DIB [dead in bed]. Advanced cardiac life support is either not attempted or fails to return the patient to their baseline state of life (Benumof, 2016).”

This episode is one of those discussions that makes you see the work you do in a whole new light and gives you a renewed sense of ownership over making sure you and your colleagues are doing the right thing for your patients.  This show is coming out on 28 January 2024 and was originally recorded at VCU’s studio with a table top microphone back in the summer of 2017.  I apologize that the audio is a little hazy but the power of Dr Biddle’s research and passion for this topic are still very much relevant to providers today.  So with that, let’s get to the show!

Benumof, J. L. (2015). The elephant in the room is bigger than you think: finding obstructive sleep apnea patients dead in bed postoperatively. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 120(2), 491.

Hill, M. V., Stucke, R. S., McMahon, M. L., Beeman, J. L., & Barth Jr, R. J. (2018). An educational intervention decreases opioid prescribing after general surgical operations. Annals of surgery267(3), 468-472.

Biddle, C., Elam, C., Lahaye, L., Kerr, G., Chubb, L., & Verhulst, B. (2021). Predictors of at-home arterial oxygen desaturation events in ambulatory surgical patients. Journal of Patient Safety, 17(3), e186-e191. 

Categories
Anesthesia Education Clinical Tips Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Human Physiology and Pathophysiology Opioid Free Anesthesia Pharmacology

#103 – Dexmedetomidine Deep Dive with Eliana Zimmerman

What’s up folks! This is Jon Lowrance with Anesthesia Guidebook and this is episode 103… a deep dive on dexmedetomidine with Eliana Zimmerman. This episode is coming out on January 21, 2024.

Before we get to the show I want to remind folks that I’ll be speaking in person at the Encore Symposiums’ Autumn in Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park conference running October 14-17 of this year. If you have never been to Maine, this is a great excuse to make it up here. And even if you have been or if you live here in vacationland… there’s scarcely a better place to be than Bar Harbor in October. It’s absolutely stunning. Peak leaf season usually hits in October for Bar Harbor, which is a coastal village just outside the entrance to Acadia National Park. Just google those key words… Acadia National Park – October. Or peak leaf season Bar Harbor. Then sign up for the conference ASAP because this one usually sells out quick. It’s Encore Symposiums’ Autumn in Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park conference, running October 14-17. I’m looking forward to bringing fresh perspectives on what’s new in anesthesia, pharmacology, ERAS, airway management & more for this conference. You’ll also get to meet a bunch of my friends & crew from Maine Medical Center, as this is one our team’s favorite conferences to attend… it’s close to home and has absolutely breath-taking scenery. I hope to see you there!

This is the second show I’ve done specific to dexmedetomidine… you’d have to go back a full 100 episodes… way back to episode #2 for the other show, which I did with Matt Poirier who I continue to work alongside at Maine Medical Center.

In this show, Eliana Zimmerman joins me to unpack the literature on perioperative use of dexmedetomidine, specifically focusing on the clinical impacts of dexmedetomidine in colorectal surgery.

As part of her doctorate research at Northeastern University, Eliana completed a series of expert panel inquires, synthesized with current literature, to arrive at recommendations for best practice concerning the use of dexmedetomidine in colorectal surgery. Her infographic and resources are provided in the show notes.

Eliana Zimmerman graduated Wesleyan University with a degree in Neuroscience in 2017, and University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Nursing in 2018. She worked as an ICU nurse at Jefferson Methodist Hospital from 2019 – 2022. She is currently a nurse anesthesia doctoral student at Northeastern University with an anticipated graduation of May 2025. In her limited free time she likes to backpack, run, and spend time outdoors. Her fiancé, two cats, and dog have kept her sane during the long days of anesthesia training.  

References

Chen, C., Huang, P., Lai, L., Luo, C., Ge, M., Hei, Z., Zhu, Q., & Zhou, S. (2016). Dexmedetomidine improves gastrointestinal motility after laparoscopic resection of colorectal cancer: A randomized clinical trial. Medicine (Baltimore), 95(29), e4295–e4295. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000004295

Chen, H., & Li, F. (2020). Effect of Dexmedetomidine with Different Anesthetic Dosage on Neurocognitive Function in Elderly Patients After Operation Based on Neural Network Model. World Neurosurgery, 138, 688–695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2020.01.012

Cheung, C. W., Qiu, Q., Ying, A. C. L., Choi, S. W., Law, W. L., & Irwin, M. G. (2014). The effects of intra‐operative dexmedetomidine on postoperative pain, side‐effects and recovery in colorectal surgery. Anaesthesia, 69(11), 1214–1221. https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.12759

Ge, D.-J., Qi, B., Tang, G., & Li, J.-Y. (2015). Intraoperative Dexmedetomidine Promotes Postoperative Analgesia in Patients After Abdominal Colectomy: A Consort-Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial. Medicine (Baltimore), 94(37), e1514–e1514. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000001514  

He, G.-Z., Bu, N., Li, Y.-J., Gao, Y., Wang, G., Kong, Z.-D., Zhao, M., Zhang, S.-S., & Gao, W. (2022). Extra Loading Dose of Dexmedetomidine Enhances Intestinal Function Recovery After Colorectal Resection: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13, 806950–806950. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.806950

Lu, Y., Fang, P.-P., Yu, Y.-Q., Cheng, X.-Q., Feng, X.-M., Wong, G. T. C., Maze, M., & Liu, X.-S. (2021). Effect of Intraoperative Dexmedetomidine on Recovery of Gastrointestinal Function After Abdominal Surgery in Older Adults A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 4(10), e2128886–e2128886. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.28886

Qi, Y.-P., Ma, W.-J., Cao, Y.-Y., Chen, Q., Xu, Q.-C., Xiao, S., Lu, W.-H., & Wang, Z. (2022). Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Intestinal Barrier in Patients Undergoing Gastrointestinal Surgery–A Single-Center Randomized Clinical Trial. The Journal of Surgical Research, 

Sun, W., Li, F., Wang, X., Liu, H., Mo, H., Pan, D., Wen, S., & Zhou, A. (2021). Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer. The Journal of Surgical Research, 267, 687–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2021.06.043

Tang, Y., Liu, J., Huang, X., Ding, H., Tan, S., & Zhu, Y. (2021). Effect of Dexmedetomidine-Assisted Intravenous Inhalation Combined Anesthesia on Cerebral Oxygen Metabolism and Serum Th1/Th2 Level in Elderly Colorectal Cancer Patients. Frontiers in Surgery, 8, 832646–832646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2021.832646

Xu, B., Li, Z., Zhou, D., Li, L., Li, P., & Huang, H. (2017). The influence of age on sensitivity to dexmedetomidine sedation during spinal anesthesia in lower limb orthopedic surgery. Anesthesia & Analgesia125(6), 1907-1910. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000002531

Zhang, J., Liu, G., Zhang, F., Fang, H., Zhang, D., Liu, S., Chen, B., & Xiao, H. (2019). Analysis of postoperative cognitive dysfunction and influencing factors of dexmedetomidine anesthesia in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 18(3), 3058–3064. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2019.10611


If you want to dive deeper, recommended reading:

  1. Ischemia Reperfusion Injury:
    1. “Pathophysiology of Reperfusion Injury”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534267/#:~:text=Ischaemia%2DReperfusion%20injury%20(IRI),essential%20to%20salvage%20ischaemic%20tissues
  2. Postoperative pain and the Gut Microbiome
    1. Brenner, Shorten, & Mahony 2021

DNP Reference Tools

  1. AGREE II 
    1. Overview
      1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525667/
    1. Manual
      1. https://www.agreetrust.org/resource-centre/agree-ii/
  2. United States Preventive Service Task Force Grading
    1. Methods:
      1. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/about-uspstf/methods-and-processes
    1. Grading System
      1. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/about-uspstf/methods-and-processes/grade-definitions
  3. Modified Delphi Technique Assessment of Appropriateness
    1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8299905/
Categories
Anesthesia Education Personal Finances Preparing for Grad School/Residency Wellness

#102 – Marriage + Anesthesia School with Brad & Madisson Marcum

Brad & Madisson Marcum join me to talk about the dynamics of being married and going to anesthesia school together. They met in nursing school, had divergent paths professionally for a bit, with Brad starting nurse practitioner school and Madisson considering anesthesia school. They ended up sharing the same goal of becoming CRNAs and we talk through their approach to applying together, getting into the University of Evansville together and working through the program alongside one another.

In episode 15, I talked with Jenny & Robert Montague about what it’s like for the significant others of anesthesia residents. Jenny has her Master of Science in Nutrition and works as a Registered Dietitian and supported Robert and their 2 kids while he attended the University of New England’s anesthesia program.

In epsisode 50, I caught up with Lein & Nate Woodin to talk specifically on parenting in anesthesia school. Nate is a family therapist and supported Lein and their 2 kids while she went through the University of New England’s anesthesia program.

In this episode, Brad & Madisson Marcum talk about what it’s like to both get into and work through anesthesia school together. We’re planning for this to be the first in a series of conversations with them as they progress through their program. They’re just finishing their first year of training and have yet to start clinicals. I plan to touch base with them down to the road to see how that phase of the program goes.

Folks are often making difficult decisions around when to do anesthesia school. For a couple in my program, the husband went through school 2 years ahead of his wife, who was in my class, and they overlapped for just one semester. A local couple here in Portland stacked their programs end to end with one of them fully completing the program and a semester after that, the other starting anesthesia school. That stretched their anesthesia training experience to a full six years as a couple.

My hope is that this conversation with Brad & Madisson helps you and your partner think through the considerations around what you want to do or how it’s going for you if you’re currently in a program.

Brad hails from Salem, Illinois and spent 5 years as a critical care Registered Nurse in the cardio thoracic & transplant ICUs at Mayo Clinic prior to starting anesthesia school in the University of Evansville’s DNAP program. His clinical interests are regional anesthesia and opioid sparring anesthetic techniques with an emphasis on pharmacology and pharmacogenetics.

Madisson is from Effingham, Illinois and also spent 5 years as a critical care Registered Nurse in the trauma surgical ICU at Mayo Clinic in Rochester prior to anesthesia training. Her clinical interests are regional anesthesia and difficult airway management.

They are focusing their doctoral project on the functionality and effectiveness of virtual reality training in anesthesia programs and plan to utilize Peter Stallo’s SIMVANA VR platform for research. You may remember my conversation with Peter in episode 96 on SIMVANA and virtual reality in anesthesia education. It’s a fascinating discussion on what will likely become a central element to anesthesia education in years to come.

Long term, Brad & Madisson intend to become involved in medial mission trips and create a pediatric charity foundation to provide basic necessities to children in need in their local area following anesthesia school.

Brad and Madisson Marcum

Categories
Anesthesia Education Anesthesia Equipment and Technology Cardiac Clinical Tips Human Physiology and Pathophysiology

#101 – EKG Lead Selection for Perioperative Monitoring – Mark Kossick, DNSc, CRNA

This is an incredibly special podcast that I’m thrilled to pull forward from our old show, From the Head of the Bed, to Anesthesia Guidebook.

I love that this episode is number 101 because EKG lead selection should be 101-level knowledge for anesthesia providers, yet so many folks have not mastered this fundamental knowledge as part of their practice. I hope you get as much from this as I have over the years.

Dr Mark Kossick was a full professor of anesthesia at Western Carolina University when my wife, Kristin, and I attended the program and he actually just retired in late 2023 from that university. Kristin arranged for Dr Kossick to contribute his expertise to this podcast while we were still in the program back in early 2015 and this episode was released as one of the original group of podcasts that launched From the Head of the Bed that year.

Dr Kossick will give a more detailed introduction of his professional background at the start of this show – and, I’m thrilled to have Kristin’s voice on the podcast with all her pre-Mainer southern drawl – as she introduces him. Dr Kossick was known as an incredibly challenging yet supportive professor. His area of expertise was intra-operative monitoring and the uptake and distribution of volatile anesthetics. He had a passion for the many beautiful curves of the science of anesthesia, whether it was the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, the Fa/Fi curve or one of the many other curves that define the science behind what we do every day. Kristin and I and so many other CRNAs from WCU, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and others have learned so much from Dr Kossick and consider ourselves fortunate to have sat in and survived his classes.

This is an incredibly thorough review of the very basics of EKG lead placement, selection and monitoring for anesthesia care. This is a skill and knowledge set that, unfortunately, many anesthesia providers and perioperative nursing staff overlook and blaze past. As Dr Kossick says in the show, simply having a EKG pattern on the screen from careless placement of EKG leads is not enough for safe monitoring. Dr Kossick walks us through the core data on EKG monitoring, including some modified leads, so this show is excellent for both trainees and experienced providers alike.

Categories
Anesthesia Education Business/Finances

#100 – Vantage Point January 2024

Have you noticed how stoked podcasters get about their one hundredth episodes? 

It’s kind of a thing.

If you want to hear interesting shows – check out the hundredth episodes.  Or 200th.  Or 1000th.  

Podcasters usually get super stoked about hitting triple digits with their shows and often set up the number 100 episode as some sort of tribute to themselves by taking a look back over their favorite episodes.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m pumped about number 100.  But this isn’t going to be a look back at all the best shows or highlight moments.  I’d rather hit on the why behind Anesthesia Guidebook.  

Some of you all might just be joining us.  

Maybe this is the first time you’ve heard Anesthesia Guidebook and you’re taking a look around.  Maybe you’ve been listening since From the Head of the Bed… either way, I’d like to hit on where we came from and where we’re going.

I love when one year turns over to another.  I’m not big on new year’s resolutions and my wife and I don’t even stay up any more to see the clock tick over midnight on New Year’s Eve.  We’ve got a 2-year old who’s potty training this weekend and his 9 month old brother is crawling all over the place.  So we generally go to bed early to wake up and keep pace with these little dudes.  But I do get stoked when a year comes to a close and another begins.  It helps mark a rhythm in our lives.  Just after the winter solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year.  Then we turn to a new year where new things will happen and the best of the old things are brought with us.  So there’s the 100th episode and there’s the new year… it’s like toast with Nutella and bananas.  Doubly amazing.  

In this show, I touch on what Anesthesia Guidebook means to me and what I hope it means for you. I’ll hit on a couple of upcoming shows headed your way in 2024 and then we’re out. Happy New Year and thanks for checking the show out and getting after it out there!

In Memory of Peter Strube, DNP, MBA, Lt Col (ret), CRNA, FAANA. Matt Zinder wrote an amazing eulogy here and copied below:

The profession of nurse anesthesiology has lost one of its greatest advocates. Peter Strube, DNP, MBA, Lt Col (ret), FAANA passed away peacefully in his home Monday, December 11, 2023 following a brief illness. Dr. Strube’s dedication to colleagues, students, residents, and to the profession of nurse anesthesiology was evident in his tireless efforts to promote and educate all those who had the good fortune to work with him.

Dr. Strube earned his BA in Nursing from Luther College in 1994 and his Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia from St. Mary’s University in 2006. He went on to earn his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Rosalind Franklin University in 2017 and his MBA from Edgewood College in 2019.

Dr. Strube retired from the US Army Nurse Corps after 21 years of service, having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He deployed four times, which included service in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned the War on Terrorism medal, the Enduring Freedom medal, the Mobilization Armed Forces Reserve medal, the Iraqi Freedom and Global War on Terror medal, and held numerous certificates of achievement, appreciation, and training from the United States Army.

Dr. Strube was an Assistant Professor at Newman University School of Nurse Anesthesia and was a developer of the pharmacology CPC Modules for multiple CRNA education programs. His teaching background included serving as an Assistant Program Director at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, an Associate Professor at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and an Assistant Professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

Peter was the CEO of Strube Educational Services, where he provided invaluable tutoring services to nurse anesthesiology residents, enabling them to excel in their studies and succeed in their anesthesia board exams. His tutoring program has assisted over 500 residents with their success in their medical training. Furthermore, he authored numerous professional articles and shared his expertise as both a national and international speaker. He successfully guided and contributed to over 10 doctoral projects.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Dr. Strube was deeply committed to his community. He served as a member of the Mount Horeb Board of Education, acted as a Commissioner on the Dane County Ethics Board, and offered crucial mentorship to veterans in crisis through court appointments. Furthermore, he proved to be an active and dedicated CRNA representative and advocate, having served on the Wisconsin state association board, AANA Region 3 Director, and most recently, being honored with induction into the esteemed AANA 2023 Class of Fellows.

Dr. Peter Strube left an indelible mark on his profession and everyone with whom he collaborated. He was a great friend and family man and will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and children, Noah, 23, Xander, 21, and Sarah, 18, and is also survived by mother Nancy Sommerfeld, father Donald Strube, sisters Shannon and Nicky (Troy) Cross, niece Josie Cross and nephew Chance Cross.

Services will be held Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at:
Evangelical Lutheran Church
315 E Main St
Mount Horeb, WI 53572

Visitation to begin at noon and service will begin at 3 p.m.

Obituary contributed by Matt Zinder, MS, CH, CRNA.

Categories
Anesthesia Education Preparing for Grad School/Residency Wellness

#99 – The Effects of Anesthesia School Didactic Formatting on Resident Wellbeing – Cassie Capps

Cassie Capps, BSN, SRNA joins me to talk about the effects of didactic formatting in anesthesia training on resident wellbeing including stress, anxiety, confidence and academic performance. Her specific focus is on the mix of online versus in-person course work for nurse anesthesia trainees.

Cassie overviews what the literature says about this topic and is looking for YOU to join her efforts by completing a very quick survey about your experience at the end of this podcast.

The survey HAS CLOSED.

Cassie is completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice in anesthesiology at the University of Arizona and this study is part of her doctoral work. Prior to anesthesia training, Cassie was a CVICU Registered Nurse for 8 years and worked in the cath lab for 5 years before that. Prior to nursing school, Cassie completed a Master’s degree in music with a focus on Piano Performance & Pedagogy. She continues to teach piano on the side while completing her doctorate in anesthesiology at the University of Arizona.

Her unique experience with anesthesia school included moving through her program as a single mom of an 11 year old daughter. She also continues to play a big role in the lives of her two former stepdaughters who are now young adults.

This podcast is coming out on December 26, 2023. I hope you’ve had an amazing year and am thrilled to bring this episode to you. Please take a moment and complete the survey and help Cassie get some solid data for her project. Stay tuned because I plan to reconnect with Cassie in a couple of months after she’s crunched the numbers and see what she’s learned.

REFERENCES

Alajmi, B., & Alasousi, H. (2019). Understanding and motivating academic library employees: theoretical implications. Library management, 40(3/4), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-10-2017-0111

Baqutayan, S. M. S. (2015). Stress and Coping Mechanisms: A Historical Overview. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences; Vol 6, No 2 S1 (2015): March 2015https://www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/view/5927/5699

Berry, G. R., & Hughes, H. (2020). Integrating Work-Life Balance with 24/7 Information and Communication Technologies: The Experience of Adult Students With Online Learning. The American journal of distance education, 34(2), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1701301

Botha, E., Gwin, T., & Purpora, C. (2015). The effectiveness of mindfulness based programs in reducing stress experienced by nurses in adult hospital settings: a systematic review of quantitative evidence protocol. JBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports, 13(10), 21-29. https://doi.org/10.11124/jbisrir-2015-2380

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Poor nutritionhttps://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/nutrition.htm

Columbia University. (2022). How sleep deprivation impacts mental healthhttps://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-mental-health

Conner, M. (2015). Self-Efficacy, Stress, and Social Support in Retention of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists [Article]. AANA Journal, 83(2), 133-138. http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=102321364&site=ehost-live

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). (2020, 3/22/21). FAQ’s and statement regarding meeting clinical requirementshttps://www.coacrna.org/coa-statement-regarding-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). (2022). List of accredited educational programs. https://www.coacrna.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/List-of-Accredited-Educational-Programs-July-18-2022-1.pdf

Day, C. M. F., Lakatos, K. M., Dalley, C. B., Eshkevari, L., & O’Guin, C. (2022). The Experience of Burnout in the SRNA Population and Association With Situational and Demographic Factors. AANA Journal, 90(6), 447-453. 

Desmet, P., & Fokkinga, S. (2020). Beyond maslow’s pyramid: Introducing a typology of thirteen fundamental needs for human-centered design. Multimodal technologies and interaction, 4(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti4030038

Freitas, F. A., & Leonard, L. J. (2011). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and student academic success. Teaching and learning in nursing, 6(1), 9-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2010.07.004

Griffin, A., Yancey, V., & Dudley, M. (2017). Wellness and thriving in a student registered nurse anesthetist population. AANA Journal, 85(5), 325-330. 

Hale, A. J., Ricotta, D. N., Freed, J., Smith, C. C., & Huang, G. C. (2019). Adapting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a Framework for Resident Wellness. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 31(1), 109-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2018.1456928

Harwood, K. J., McDonald, P. L., Butler, J. T., Drago, D., & Schlumpf, K. S. (2018). Comparing student outcomes in traditional vs intensive, online graduate programs in health professional education. BMC medical education, 18(1), 240-240. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1343-7

Hoffman, H. J., & Elmi, A. F. (2020). Comparing Student Performance in a Graduate-Level Introductory Biostatistics Course Using an Online versus a Traditional in-Person Learning Environment. Journal of statistics and data science education, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10691898.2020.1841592

Imus, F. S., & Burns, S. (2015). What to Consider Before Beginning Graduate Education: A Pilot Study. AANA J, 83(5), 345-350. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26638456

Imus, F. S., Burns, S., & Weglarz, D. M. (2017). Self-efficacy and graduate education in a nurse Anesthesia program: A pilot study. AANA Journal, 85(3), 205-216. 

Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2023). How to improvehttps://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/HowtoImprove/ScienceofImprovementHowtoImprove.aspx

Kondo, M. C., Jacoby, S. F., & South, E. C. (2018). Does spending time outdoors reduce stress? A review of real-time stress response to outdoor environments. Health & place, 51, 136-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.03.001

Lowrance, J. (2023). Anesthesia Guidebookhttps://anesthesiaguidebook.com

Malek-Ismail, J. (2021). Thriving in the First Semester of Graduate School: A Process of Rebalancing and Self-Determination. The American journal of occupational therapy, 75(S2), 7512520410-7512520410p7512520411. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.75S2-RP410

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396. 

Mesisca, J., & Mainwaring, J. (2021). Stress, Anxiety, and Well-being in Nurse Anesthesia Doctoral Students. AANA J,89(5), 396-402. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34586993

Montag, C., Sindermann, C., Lester, D., & Davis, K. L. (2020). Linking individual differences in satisfaction with each of Maslow’s needs to the Big Five personality traits and Panksepp’s primary emotional systems. Heliyon, 6(7), e04325-e04325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04325

National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Table 9. Unduplicated headcount enrollment at Title IV institutions, by control of institution, student level, level of institution, and distance education status of student: United States, 2020–21. In: U.S. Department of Education.

Osaili, T. M., Ismail, L. C., ElMehdi, H. M., Al-Nabulsi, A. A., Taybeh, A. O., Saleh, S. T., Kassem, H., Alkhalidy, H., Ali, H. I., Al Dhaheri, A. S., & Stojanovska, L. (2023). Comparison of students’ perceptions of online and hybrid learning modalities during the covid-19 pandemic: The case of the University of Sharjah. PLoS One, 18(3), e0283513. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283513

Palmer, L., amp, J. M., Ren, D., & Henker, R. (2014). Comparison of Nurse Anesthesia Student 12 Lead EKG Knowledge, Interpretation Skill, Satisfaction and Attitude: Traditional Instruction vs. Asynchronous Online Video Lecture. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 10(3), 420-n/a. https://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/comparison-nurse-anesthesia-student-12-lead-ekg/docview/1650489030/se-2?accountid=8360

Papaleontiou–Louca, E., Esmailnia, S., & Thoma, N. (2022). A Critical Review of Maslow’s Theory of Spirituality. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 24(4), 327-343. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2021.1932694

Pecka, S. L., Kotcherlakota, S., & Berger, A. M. (2014). Community of inquiry model: Advancing distance learning in nurse anesthesia education. AANA Journal, 82(3), 212-218. 

Polit, D., & Beck, C. (2020). Nursing Research. Philadelphia, UNITED STATES Wolters Kluwer Health. 

Pressman, S. D., Gallagher, M. W., & Lopez, S. J. (2013). Is the Emotion-Health Connection a “First-World Problem”? Psychological science, 24(4), 544-549. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612457382

Wilson, J. T., Gibbons, S. W., & Wofford, K. (2015). Process Improvement: Addressing Attrition from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Nurse Anesthesia Program. AANA J, 83(5), 351-356. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26638457

Worthen, M., & Cash, E. (2022). Stress Management. StatPearls [Internet], Jan. 2022https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513300/

Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T. P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017). The impact of stress on body function: A review. Excli j, 16, 1057-1072. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2017-480

Categories
Anesthesia Education Business/Finances Wellness

#91 – Vantage Point for January 2023

What up yall. This is Jon Lowrance. I’m still here. 😂 We’re still here. This is the first episode of 2023 and the first episode on Anesthesia Guidebook since October – October!

I’m so glad to get back to the podcast and bring you this update. This is a re-cap of the last few months of my world. It’s also a reminder of what Anesthesia Guidebook is about and a look forward into 2023.

I’ve got some very exiting news to share… my wife is pregnant with our second baby boy, due in March, and I’ve also transitioned in my role at Maine Medical Center from the SRNA Clinical Coordinator and into the role of chief CRNA.

In this episode, I talk about that transition and a bit about the philosophy of organizational leadership that I have found to be most compelling that’s shaping my approach to supporting my team and will undoubtedly continue to influence the podcast.

Thank you to everyone who reached out in the last couple of months! Your check-in’s, DMs, podcast reviews and emails have been encouraging and much appreciated! I’m honored to share this space with you and to be part of your runs, Peloton rides, commutes, baby naps and all the other times you tune into Anesthesia Guidebook to stay sharp and get your learn on.

I want to share the link for the group that I have the opportunity to support as chief CRNA here: Maine Medical Center. Search for the CRNA positions in Portland, Maine. Come work with us… I hope to share more about our team and the why behind what we do a little later in the year. It’s a special place with an amazing team. Reach out and we can talk about it.

That said, I will always work to maintain a professional degree of separation between my place of employment and this podcast in terms of the information and opinions I share.  My views and opinions – and those of my guests – do not necessarily represent those of any of our employers.  With any medical education content, you should always consult with other healthcare experts, medical texts and peer-reviewed journals before acting upon anything you hear in a podcast or social media post. 

Take care and welcome to 2023! 

Categories
Anesthesia Education Business/Finances Personal Finances Preparing for Grad School/Residency

#82 – How Change Management can Build Value with Randy Moore & Desirée Chappell

Randy Moore, DNP, MBA, CRNA and Desirée Chappell, MSNA, CRNA join me to talk about change management in healthcare. They are both on the leadership team with NorthStar Anesthesia, which provides perioperative services at over 200 facilities across 20 states.

This conversation focuses on how leaders can navigate change, develop culture and build successful anesthesia practices. We discuss the challenges facing anesthesia providers right now after 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic and what market forces are at play including provider shortages, pressure from reduced reimbursement rates and lower surgical volumes. This episode will be relevant for any anesthesia provider who’s looking to build value in their career and especially relevant for those practice managers, owners, leaders & entrepreneurs who want – and need – to know how to navigate change, find sustainable & deliberate growth and develop cultures where providers want to invest their careers.

Desirée Chappell, MSNA, CRNA is the Vice President of Clinical Quality at NorthStar Anesthesia. Desirée has an extensive background in education and quality improvement in anesthesia. She is the managing editor & lead anchor of TopMedTalk, a podcast on anesthesia, critical care & perioperative medicine with nearly 1600 episodes. She is also adjunct faculty for the Acute Pain Management Fellowship at Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia and serves on the board of directors for the American Society for Enhanced Recovery. Desirée received her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from Texas Wesleyan University.

Desirée Chappell, MSN, CRNA, VP of Clinical Quality at NorthStar Anesthesia

Dr Randy Moore, DNP, CRNA, MBA is the Chief Anesthetist Officer at NorthStar Anesthesia. He recently left his role as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and has a long background in organizational leadership. He retired as a Major in the United States Army after 22 years where he served as an active duty CRNA with tours in Afghanistan at Forward Surgical Bases. His doctorate of nursing practice is from the University of Alabama, his MBA from Southern Illinois University and Master of Science in Nursing anesthesia from Bradley University.

Randy Moore, DNP, CRNA, MBA, Chief Anesthetist Officer at NorthStar Anesthesia
Categories
Anesthesia Education Business/Finances Personal Finances Preparing for Grad School/Residency

#77 – Thrive in Training: how to land your first job in anesthesia with Jon Bradstreet, MSN, CRNA

In this episode, I talk with Jon Bradstreet, MSN, CRNA who at the time of this recording was the chief CRNA/Director of CRNA Services at Maine Medical Center, Maine’s only level 1 trauma center. Jon was the chief CRNA who gave me my first job in anesthesia. At the time he hired my wife and I, in June of 2015, there were around 50 CRNAs in our group. Seven years later, our group has more than doubled in size with just over 100 CRNAs. Jon has overseen that growth and the development of an incredibly healthy culture within the anesthesia team at Maine Medical Center. We originally recorded this interview in December of 2015.

In this episode we talk about how to prepare for the job hunt as a SRNA… everything from what to look for in a job and how to weigh various pros & cons, how to prepare your resume or CV and how to ace the interview & follow up communications with a prospective employer. You’ve worked incredibly hard during anesthesia school to develop the skills & knowledge to become a competent provider; following through with a similar degree of proactive ownership to land your first job is key to making a successful transition into working as an anesthesia provider. This episode will tell how to do just that.

Key topics:

  • CV Preparation – what works and what’s fluff on your CV
  • When to and how to contact prospective employers
  • Tips for interviews including:
    • What chief CRNAs are looking for in your interview
    • Questions you should be asking in your interview
    • Things to consider doing and avoid doing in an interview
    • When to follow up on an interview
  • Tips for promoting yourself as a CRNA
  • Advice for how to prioritize important aspects of jobs including location, practice type, group culture, compensation packages and more
  • Advice for CRNA couples who are in the job hunt together

Parting words from Jon Bradstreet, MSN, CRNA:

“Have fun… we have a great profession and we have a great lifestyle.  We’re very lucky to do what we do for a living.  Always keep that in mind – how fortunate we are in this profession.  And then finally I think I would say listen to your gut.  It’s taken you very far in life already… don’t repress what it’s telling you as you’re in that interview.”

Categories
Anesthesia Education Anesthesia Equipment and Technology Human Physiology and Pathophysiology Preparing for Grad School/Residency Wellness

#71 – Thrive in Training: destroying didactics with Jenny Finnell, MSN, CRNA

Jenny Finnell, MSN, CRNA joins me to talk about how anesthesia trainees can master the didactic phase of their training. We cover lots of tips in this show: everything from how to make challenging content stick to how to get organized, which apps & resources are helpful and how to maintain mental wellbeing during anesthesia training.

This episode will help you dial in your plan for success in didactics. Our goal is for you to thrive and not just survive in school. The volume of information you have to master is immense and the learning curve is incredibly steep, especially when you begin to integrate clinical training into your journey. Creating early success in didactics is key to progressing in anesthesia school.

There’s 3 domains of knowledge in any kind of training:

  • the know-what
  • the know-why and 
  • the know-how.

The know-what is the core information, principles & facts.  

The know-why is understanding the situationally-specific rationales for actions & processes.

And the know-how is where we learn to put the know-what & the know-why into practice: it’s the experiential, practical application of knowledge. 

The didactic portion of training is where we pick up most of the know-what.  What you need to know is learned by studying, being taught, reading, watching video & listening to lectures & podcasts.  It’s here where we also learn a lot of the know-why: the rationales behind why we do things the way we do them in anesthesia.  You’re only able to develop the art of anesthesia if you have a solid foundation in the science of anesthesia.  Learning the know-how: the actual mechanics and flow of putting everything together, the timing & art of anesthesia is learned best by doing… especially when that experiential education is under the guidance of a skilled preceptor, clinical coach or mentor.  

Jenny Finnell, MSN, CRNA runs the CRNA School Prep Academy, which is a mentoring and professional coaching community designed for those who want to pursue a career as a CRNA.  Her team offers a blog, podcast and public & private forums as well as individualized coaching for every phase of preparing for anesthesia training.  She’s active on Facebook & Instagram if you want to see what the CRNA School Prep Academy is all about or you can certainly cruise over to her website at CRNAschoolprepacademy.com

Resources:

The CRNA School Prep Academy Ultimate Resource Guide:

…this is Jenny Finnell’s Six-Page Free Resource Guide. In it, she lists the best podcasts, YouTube channels, apps, websites, books related to anesthesia, studying/learning, grad school interviews and professional resources.

Chipas, A., & McKenna, D. (2011). Stress and burnout in nurse anesthesia. AANA journal79(2).

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App. This is an incredibly thorough app covering run downs on surgeries, pathological conditions, pharmacology and detailed weight-based guides to pediatric anesthesia. While you have to pay for this app, the cost is definitely worth what you get.

Master Anesthesia app in App Store: check out the story from app creator Matthew Willis in Episode 38 of Anesthesia Guidebook. This app is FREE and growing in its scope of surgeries & medications but rolled out with a phenomenal calculator for quickly seeing max doses of multiple local anesthetics.

Writing in the Sciences: FREE course on professional/scientific writing from Stanford University. Take this course to improve your professional writing.

Categories
Anesthesia Education Clinical Tips Personal Finances Preparing for Grad School/Residency Wellness

#67 – How to Thrive in Training

This is the first episode in a series that will focus on helping anesthesia residents thrive in training. This is designed for physician and nurse anesthesia trainees and will unpack crucial beta for helping you dial your game in during anesthesia training.

In this first episode I discuss finding your why behind going to anesthesia school. Your why is what will propel you through the tough times in training and help you find the motivation to excel.

Angela Duckworth is a psychologist and researcher who, in her bestselling book titled Grit – the power of passion and perseverance, says that grit is what separates those who succeed from those who fail when facing extreme challenge.

Your why will help you develop the level of grit that you need to get through the challenges of anesthesia training.  

Grit is what you have when your passion fuels a perseverance that propels you through obstacles to achieve your goals.

Duckworth says there’s four components of developing grit: interested, practice, purpose and hope.

Do you have an authentic interest in the work anesthesia providers do? Are you stoked about the field of anesthesia and have an accurate mental representation of what it’s actually about?

You will need to develop deliberate practice in order to master the craft of anesthesia and become competent in the core skills/knowledge base. If you’re unwilling to do this, anesthesia training will quickly seem overwhelming and you probably won’t make it. But deliberate practice is the key to unlocking true skill development and expertise and will make the road ahead achievable.

You must know your purpose – or your why – behind going to anesthesia school. This episode is all about finding that. It will be the reason you come back to when the road gets tough and you have to find the motivation to push through the challenges, set backs and hurdles that will inevitably come your way.

And lastly, hope is what you will have in your back pocket when you believe that the journey is worth all the hard work you put in. Hope comes when you believe that the juice is worth the squeeze, that the payoff is worth the effort.

Interest. Practice. Purpose. Hope. When you understand and foster each of these in your journey, you will develop a grittiness that will see you through the steepest of climbs and most difficult days.

Stay tuned for the upcoming series where you’ll hear from CRNAs, professors and SRNAs alike on the following topics:

  • developing a growth mindset
  • dialing in didactics
  • crushing clinicals
  • developing time management
  • avoiding landmines and overcoming set backs
  • dealing with hardship in anesthesia training
  • financial management
  • preparing for and acing exams and boards
  • tips for the job hunt
  • transitioning to practice and through the first six months after training

This series is an active work in progress so if there’s something you want to hear about, be sure to reach out and let me know!

Categories
Anesthesia Education Business/Finances

#65 – 1-hour CPC Program Overview

This is an all-new 1-hour overview of the NBCRNA’s Continued Professional Certification (CPC) Program for CRNAs.

In April of 2019, I interviewed John Preston, DNSc, CRNA, FNAP, APRN and Lisa Kamen, CAE of the NBCRNA on the CPC Program for the podcast From the Head of the Bed. At the time, Dr Preston was the Chief Credentialing Officer at NBCRNA; he is now the CEO of NBCRNA. Lisa Kamen is an association manager who supports the work of NBCRNA as a full time staff member. Instead of brining that episode forward to Anesthesia Guidebook, I’ve decided to complete re-write this update because the CPC Program has evolved even since 2019.

Episode 64 of Anesthesia Guidebook includes a brief 10-minute run down on the CPC Program that you can share with friends who just want a quick overview. I recorded the 1-hour run down first and then realized that there’s probably some CRNAs out there who just want a quick overview, so I hammered episode 64 int0 just over 10-minutes.

The CPC Program at a glance.

Check your progress in the CPC Program here: NCBRNA Website

More on the CPC Program:

NBCRNA CPC Program

Categories
Clinical Tips Opioid Free Anesthesia Outpatient Anesthesia Pharmacology Preparing for Grad School/Residency Regional Anesthesia

#41 – Regional Anesthesia with Shane Garner, MS, CRNA, NSPM-C

This episode was originally released in April of 2020 on From the Head of the Bed… a podcast for the anesthesia community and is being re-released on 5 September 2021 on Anesthesia Guidebook.

In this episode, I speak with Shane Garner, MS, CRNA, NSPM-C about an introduction & overview of regional anesthesia. We discuss:

  • opioid-free anesthesia
  • how to gain experience in regional anesthesia as a SRNA or CRNA
  • fellowships in pain management available to CRNAs
  • the Non-Surgical Pain Management (NSPM) board examination
  • how to start a block program and gain surgeon buy-in
  • Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension)
  • when to use regional anesthesia catheters and more!
Shane Garner, MS, CRNA, NSPM-C

Shane Garner is a CRNA who works in Ripon, Wisconsin and is passionate about teaching anesthesia providers on personal finance as well as regional anesthesia.  He has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Minnesota and graduated from Rosalind Franklin University with his Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia in 2012.  He went on to complete a fellowship in Advanced Pain Management at the University of South Florida before becoming board certified in Nonsurgical Pain Management through the NBCRNA. Shane is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s nurse anesthesia program and regularly instructs with Twin Oaks Anesthesia & Cornerstone Anesthesia Conferences.

Resources:

University of South Florida Advanced Pain Management Fellowship

NBCRNA Non-Surgical Pain Management Board Exam

Categories
Anesthesia Education Clinical Tips Pharmacology Preparing for Grad School/Residency

#40 – Gas and Grass: Anesthetic Considerations for Care of the Cannabis User

Study Link: http://depaul.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y32tyhtj6i8GZU

Nicole Kellogg, BSN, SRNA and Elizabeth Fullford, BSN, SRNA join me to discuss the anesthetic considerations for cannabis users.

This podcast is part of a study they’re conducting on the efficacy of an educational podcast for SRNAs and CRNAs. PLEASE COMPLETE THE PRE-SURVEY AND POST-SURVEY HERE. The study will be live through the end of October 2021.

At the time of this episode’s publication (1 September 2021) Elizabeth Fulford & Nicole Kellogg were third-year anesthesia trainees at the NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia. 

Elizabeth Fulford, BSN, SRNA received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 2011. Prior to anesthesia school, Liz primarily practiced in pediatric ICUs and also adult post-anesthesia care units in several states throughout the country.  She is an avid skier and enjoys camping with her husband Sean and fur child, Mandy.

Nicole Kellogg’s, BSN, SRNA nursing background was in rapid response and in a medical-cardiac intensive care unit.  She lives in Geneva, Illinois with her husband and two young kids and says fulfilling her dream of becoming a CRNA would not be possible without her family.  

Nicole Kellogg, BSN, SRNA
Elizabeth Fullford, BSN, SRNA

Below are the outline with citations of the podcast discussion plus the full bibliography.

References

Alexander, J. C., & Joshi, G. P. (2019). A review of the anesthetic implications of marijuana use. Proceedings – Baylor University Medical Center, 32(3), 364-371. doi:10.1080/08998280.2019.1603034.

Drug Enforcement Agency. (n.d.). Controlled Substance Schedules.https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/#:~:text=Some%20examples%20of%20substances%20listed,methylenedioxymethamphetamine%20(%22Ecstasy%22).

Echeverria-Villalobos, M., Todeschini, A. B., Stoicea, N., Fiorda-Diaz, J., Weaver, T., & Bergese, S. D. (2019). Perioperative care of cannabis users: A comprehensive review of pharmacological and anesthetic considerations. Journal of clinical anesthesia, 57, 41-49. doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2019.03.011

Flanagan, B. (2021). Harnessing the Endocannabinoid System: What It Means for the Anesthesia Provider. AANA Journal 89(3), 261-268. 

Holmen, I. C., Beach, J. P., Kaizer, A. M., & Gumidyala, R. (2020). The association between preoperative cannabis use and intraoperative inhaled anesthetic consumption: A retrospective study. Journal of clinical anesthesia, 67, 109980-109980. doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2020.109980

Horvath, C., Dalley, C. B., Grass, N., & Tola, D. H. (2019). Marijuana Use in the Anesthetized Patient: History, Pharmacology, and Anesthetic Considerations. AANA Journal, 87(6), 451-458.

Huson, H. B., Granados, T. M., & Rasko, Y. (2018). Surgical considerations of marijuana use in elective procedures. Heliyon, 4(9), e00779-e00779. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00779.

Salottolo, K., Peck, L., Tanner Ii, A., Carrick, M. M., Madayag, R., McGuire, E., & Bar-Or, D. (2018). The grass is not always greener: a multi-institutional pilot study of marijuana use and acute pain management following traumatic injury. Patient safety in surgery, 12(1), 16-16. doi:10.1186/s13037-018-0163-3.

Twardowski, M. A., Link, M. M., & Twardowski, N. M. (2019). Effects of Cannabis Use on Sedation Requirements for Endoscopic Procedures. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 119(5), 307. doi:10.7556/jaoa.2019.052

Categories
Anesthesia Education Clinical Tips Pharmacology Preparing for Grad School/Residency

#18 – Anesthesia Top Drawer Run Down – Part 2

The Top Drawer Run Down is a 3-part series covering the 39 most commonly administered intravenous medications in anesthesia. These medications are often found in the top drawer of anesthesia carts in the United States. The Top Drawer Run Down was originally posted on From the Head of the Beda podcast for the anesthesia community in September of 2019.

Michael Mielniczek, MSN, CRNA joins me to deliver the run down on these medications. Michael has a deep interest in pharmacology and completed his anesthesia training with a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Scranton in 2018. He joined me on Episode 3 of Anesthesia Guidebook for a deep dive into succinylcholine, a medication that was the focus of his graduate degree research. He has spoken at state CRNA conferences on succinylcholine, as well as at the national AANA Annual Congress.

We cover the following medications in this series:

Part 1:

  • Propofol
  • Etomidate
  • Ketamine
  • Lidocaine
  • Fentanyl
  • Morphine
  • Hydromorphone
  • Remifentanil
  • Sufentanil
  • Alfentanil
  • Succinylcholine
  • Rocuronium
  • Vecuronium
  • Cisatracurium

Part 2:

  • Atropine
  • Glycopyrrolate
  • Neostigmine
  • Sugammadex
  • Metoprolol
  • Labetalol
  • Esmolol
  • Hydralazine
  • Phenylephrine
  • Ephedrine
  • Epinephrine
  • Calcium Chloride

Part 3:

  • Heparin
  • Naloxone
  • Albuterol
  • Dexamethasone
  • Famotidine
  • Ondansetron
  • Haloperidol
  • Furosemide
  • Metoclopramide
  • Ketorolac
  • Oxytocin
  • Methylergonovine
  • Carboprost

Here is the Anesthesia Guidebook Top Drawer Run Down Study Guide:

The information provided in this series is as accurate as possible but mistakes can happen. It is your responsibility to consult experienced healthcare providers, up-to-date published text books and peer reviewed literature before making decisions to implement information you hear in podcasts, blogs and social media posts, including Anesthesia Guidebook. Dig deep, do your homework and own your practice. Your practice is your responsibility.

Resources:

Brull, S. J., & Kopman, A. F. (2017). Current Status of Neuromuscular Reversal and Monitoring Challenges and Opportunities. Anesthesiology: The Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists126(1), 173-190.

Katzung, B. G. (2017). Basic and clinical pharmacology. McGraw-Hill Education.

Lauria, M.  (2018)  Emergency reflex action drills.  EmCrit RACC. Retrieved from https://emcrit.org/emcrit/emergency-reflex-action-drills/

Miller, R. D., et. al. (2014). Miller’s Anesthesia. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Nagelhout, J. J., Elisha, S., & Plaus, K. (2013). Nurse anesthesia. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Ouellette, R., & Joyce, J. (Eds.). (2010). Pharmacology for nurse anesthesiology. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Categories
Anesthesia Education Clinical Tips Pharmacology Preparing for Grad School/Residency

#17 – Anesthesia Top Drawer Run Down – Part 1

The Top Drawer Run Down is a 3-part series covering the 39 most commonly administered intravenous medications in anesthesia. These medications are often found in the top drawer of anesthesia carts in the United States. The Top Drawer Run Down was originally posted on From the Head of the Beda podcast for the anesthesia community in September of 2019.

Michael Mielniczek, MSN, CRNA joins me to deliver the run down on these medications. Michael has a deep interest in pharmacology and completed his anesthesia training with a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Scranton in 2018. He joined me on Episode 3 of Anesthesia Guidebook for a deep dive into succinylcholine, a medication that was the focus of his graduate degree research. He has spoken at state CRNA conferences on succinylcholine, as well as at the national AANA Annual Congress.

We cover the following medications in this series:

Part 1:

  • Propofol
  • Etomidate
  • Ketamine
  • Lidocaine
  • Fentanyl
  • Morphine
  • Hydromorphone
  • Remifentanil
  • Sufentanil
  • Alfentanil
  • Succinylcholine
  • Rocuronium
  • Vecuronium
  • Cisatracurium

Part 2

  • Atropine
  • Glycopyrrolate
  • Neostigmine
  • Sugammadex
  • Metoprolol
  • Labetalol
  • Esmolol
  • Hydralazine
  • Phenylephrine
  • Ephedrine
  • Epinephrine
  • Calcium Chloride

Part 3

  • Heparin
  • Naloxone
  • Albuterol
  • Dexamethasone
  • Famotidine
  • Ondansetron
  • Haloperidol
  • Furosemide
  • Metoclopramide
  • Ketorolac
  • Oxytocin
  • Methylergonovine
  • Carboprost

Here is the Anesthesia Guidebook Top Drawer Run Down Study Guide:

The information provided in this series is as accurate as possible but mistakes can happen. It is your responsibility to consult experienced healthcare providers, up-to-date published text books and peer reviewed literature before making decisions to implement information you hear in podcasts, blogs and social media posts, including Anesthesia Guidebook. Dig deep, do your homework and own your practice. Your practice is your responsibility.

Resources:

Çoruh, B., Tonelli, M. R., & Park, D. R. (2013). Fentanyl-induced chest wall rigidity. Chest143(4), 1145-1146.

Katzung, B. G. (2017). Basic and clinical pharmacology. McGraw-Hill Education.

Miller, R. D., et. al. (2014). Miller’s Anesthesia. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Nagelhout, J. J., Elisha, S., & Plaus, K. (2013). Nurse anesthesia. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Ouellette, R., & Joyce, J. (Eds.). (2010). Pharmacology for nurse anesthesiology. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Panchal, A. R., et. al. (2018).  2018 American Heart Association focused update on advanced cardiovascular life support use of antiarrhythmic drugs during and immediately after cardiac arrest.  Circulation, 138(23), e740-e749.    Retrieved from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000613

Categories
Anesthesia Education Personal Finances Preparing for Grad School/Residency Wellness

#12 – Ten Things Every Anesthesia Provider Should Know

The following ten ideas have the power to change your attitude towards and even the trajectory of your professional career and life.  There’s three core domains to developing as an anesthesia provider:  your knowledge base, skill set and attitude.  Each are unique and require different kinds of effort or deliberate practice to grow & improve.  This guide is predominately about tweaking & improving the attitude you approach your career with.  If you’re gonna show up in your life, why not show up with a level of stoke that pulls you through the doldrums & pushes you towards where you want to be?  These ten ideas may help you do just that.

1.  What you do matters because you hold the lives of your patients in your hands.

2.  You’re only as good as the decisions you make today (sort of).

3.  You provide a service and you are replaceable. 

4.  You have an incredible capacity to develop your skills, knowledge, attitude and even intelligence.  

5.  We work in systems that are designed by people, and people work in relationships.  

6.  No one cares about your money, career, scope of practice, time off, goals, wellbeing and success more than you do.

7.  Embracing delayed gratification and understanding the power of compounding interest are critical to creating a brighter financial future for yourself.

8.  You have more power, influence and capacity than you think, and so does everyone else.  

9.  Location – Compensation – Autonomy.  You can pick 2.  

10.  Joy is more valuable than your income or job.

Resources

Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance (Vol. 124). New York, NY: Scribner. Retrieved from http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Grit/Angela-Duckworth/9781501111105.

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Digital, Inc..  Retreived from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/44330/mindset-by-carol-s-dweck-phd/9780345472328/.

Ericsson, A., & Pool, R. (2016). Peak: Secrets from the new science of expertise. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  Retrieved from https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Peak/9780544947221.

Jebb, A. T., Tay, L., Diener, E., & Oishi, S. (2018). Happiness, income satiation and turning points around the world. Nature Human Behaviour, 2(1), 33-38.

Oliver, M. (2020). Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver. Penguin Books.

The Notorious B.I.G. (1997). Mo money mo problems [Song]. On Life after death. Bad Boy Records; Arista.

Categories
Anesthesia Education

#1 – Anesthesia Guidebook Origin Story

Welcome! You made it! This is episode 1: the origin story, the backdrop, the context to who we are, where we’re from and where we are headed. Check out the podcast in your favorite player or right here on the website to hear our story, which is all about YOUR STORY!

You’re on a path to becoming an expert anesthesia provider… we’re here to help guide you.

Everything we do is designed to help you master your craft. 

Anesthesia providers hold their patients’ lives in their hands during every case. You never know when you will face crashing hemodynamics, a lost airway or a life-threatening surgical problem… and each of these emergencies can be complicated by your patients’ pathophysiology, suboptimal systems of care that surround you and/or your individual preparedness for the moment.

Anesthesia Guidebook will help you deepen your practice so that you can come through for your patients when it counts.

If you’re just starting to explore the absolutely fascinating world of anesthesia, maybe as a critical care Registered Nurse, medical student, anesthesia resident or SRNA, we have stories, guides and resources specifically designed with you in mind.

Anesthesia Guidebook is also for those seasoned providers who are looking to level up, dig deeper, stay fresh and develop new skills. We’ll bring you the latest on evidence-based medicine and emerging trends & techniques in the anesthesia community, so you can stay sharp and give your patients and students your best.

Renowned psychologist and best selling author on human performance & expertise, Anders Ericsson, has said:

“Most professionals reach a stable, average level of performance within a relatively short time frame and maintain this mediocre status for the rest of their careers.” (Ericsson, 2004)

Ericsson’s words throw down the gauntlet for anesthesia providers. And the stakes couldn’t be higher. The most vulnerable times in our patients lives often begin when we say “hello.” We have an esteemed responsibility to meet the demand for clinical expertise & assure high functioning systems of care that our patients expect, deserve and entrust their lives to.

Anesthesia Guidebook will bring you compelling stories, e-books and other resources built around pathophysiology, pharmacology, airway management, human performance and team dynamics, all tailored to the high stakes environment you work in.  Your path to becoming an expert anesthesia provider – to mastering your craft – will be the focus of everything we do.

Sources:

Ericsson, K. A. (2004). Deliberate practice and the acquisition and maintenance of expert performance in medicine and related domains. Academic medicine, 79(10), S70-S81.