The Department of Education is currently in an open public comment period, closing March 2, 2026.

PLEASE, PLEASE click the link below to submit a comment to the Department of Education: https://aana.quorum.us/campaign/151823/

Today’s episode revisits a critical conversation about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed changes to federal student loan borrowing for graduate nursing education — including nurse anesthesia programs.

According to the OBBBA and Department of Education, nurse anesthesia residents will only be able to borrow $20,500 per year of their nurse anesthesia program.

If you are an aspiring CRNA, this directly affects whether your education is financially feasible. It affects access to nurse anesthesia programs. It affects the future workforce of our profession.

In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Dr. Daniel King as we break down:

• The timeline of the bill’s passage and Department of Education rule making • Proposed lifetime borrowing caps (100K vs. 200K) • The elimination of the Graduate PLUS loan program • Annual borrowing limits of $20,500 • Who will be affected and when implementation is scheduled • Why tuition is unlikely to decrease despite borrowing limits • Alternative funding pathways • And how the AANA and national advocacy efforts are responding

We also discuss why CRNAs are uniquely positioned in this conversation — from workforce shortages to our historically low loan default rates and strong return on investment.

The Department of Education is currently in an open public comment period, closing March 2, 2026.

PLEASE, PLEASE click the link below to submit a comment to the Department of Education: https://aana.quorum.us/campaign/151823/

Department of Education Press Release which was discussed in the video: https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-negotiated-rulemaking-implement-president-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill

Join the CRNA Mentor Community: https://facebook.com/groups/crnamentorcommunity

Explore additional CRNA Mentor resources: https://stan.store/CRNAmentor

New episodes drop every Monday — start your week off right with CRNA Mentor.

Welcome back to the CRNA Mentor Podcast. This episode marks the launch of something I’m especially excited about—an Advocacy Mini-Series created specifically for aspiring CRNAs who want to understand, protect, and confidently advocate for our profession.

Advocacy doesn’t start with arguments, sound bites, or social media debates. It starts with understanding. In this episode, Why History Matters in Nurse Anesthesia, we slow the conversation down and focus on where our profession came from, how it evolved, and why certain tensions still exist in nurse anesthesiology today. Understanding this history is essential if we want to advocate calmly, confidently, and professionally.

I’m honored to be joined by Dr. Craig Atkins, a CRNA of over 35 years, program director at Rocky Vista University’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program, retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, and a true historian of nurse anesthesiology. Together, we explore the early roots of nurse anesthesia, the remarkable outcomes achieved by pioneers like Alice Magaw, the early professionalization of our specialty, and the historical context behind ongoing policy and professional debates—including TEFRA, opt-out, autonomy, and professional titles.

We also discuss the often-overlooked military history of CRNAs, the role of outcomes reporting in shaping modern practice, and why understanding this legacy matters before you ever enter the profession. Whether you’re an ICU nurse, nursing student, or someone just beginning to explore nurse anesthesia, this episode lays a critical foundation for informed, effective advocacy.

This advocacy mini-series is intentionally timed to culminate at the AANA’s Mid-Year Assembly in Washington, D.C., and is designed to help you build advocacy literacy rooted in facts, history, and professionalism—not emotion or hostility.

If you’re serious about becoming a CRNA, this episode will change how you view our profession—and your role in it.

Join the CRNA Mentor Community: https://facebook.com/groups/crnamentorcommunity

Check out additional CRNA Mentor resources: https://stan.store/CRNAmentor

Get the anesthesia facts straight with: https://www.anesthesiafacts.com/

New episodes drop every Monday. Start your week off right with CRNA Mentor!

“If you’ve ever been told no by a CRNA program… this episode is for you. If your GPA isn’t perfect… this episode is for you. If your CRNA journey hasn’t been linear… this episode is for you.”

In this episode of the CRNA Mentor Podcast, I sit down with one of the most inspiring members of our CRNA Mentor Community, Ike Bartel—a SRNA who embodies what it truly means to pursue this profession with persistence, preparation, and purpose.

Ike’s path to CRNA school was anything but straightforward. He started his nursing career in the Emergency Department, worked through critical care, the operating room, PACU, pre-op, endoscopy, anesthesia nursing, and leadership roles before getting accepted to a nurse anesthesia program. Along the way, he faced GPA struggles, imposter syndrome, and difficult career pivots.

What ultimately set Ike apart wasn’t perfection—it was relentless preparation, intellectual curiosity, humility, and his ability to network with CRNAs and mentors who believed in him before he believed in himself.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Navigating rejection and staying in the fight after being declined from a program
• How to network with CRNAs in a meaningful way
• The transition from RN to SRNA and what no one tells you about the first year
• Why Ike served and mentored others in the CRNA Mentor Community before he was ever accepted
• The daily habits, mindset, and time-management strategies that contributed to his success
• What every aspiring CRNA should start doing today

Ike is where many of you want to be: accepted into CRNA school and thriving. This episode shows you exactly how he got there.

You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be persistent.

You don’t need a flawless GPA. You need a plan, mentors, and the humility to learn.

You need to Be Like Ike.

Join the CRNA Mentor Community: https://facebook.com/groups/crnamentorcommunity Explore additional CRNA Mentor resources: https://stan.store/CRNAmentor

New episodes drop every Monday — start your week off right with CRNA Mentor Monday.