Ep 117: A Hand Up! How Dr. Lena Gould, EdD, CRNA, FAAN is Improving Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia

When you look at areas of the nurse anesthesia profession that need improvement, diversity would be near the top of that list. Thanks to Dr. Lena Gould, EdD, CRNA, FAAN, there’s a mentorship program in place that is helping facilitate entry into the profession for people of color. Today we’ll spotlight that work that’s being done, share Dr. Gould’s incredible journey to this point, and discuss ways to keep increasing diversity in the operating room.   Read more and get additional resources here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/ep-117-a-hand-up-how-dr-lena-gould-edd-crna-faan-is-improving-diversity-in-nurse-anesthesia/2814/    Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf   What we discuss on this episode:  2:17 – Welcome our guest today, Lena Gould.  6:47 – Her first trip to an AANA annual meeting  9:26 – How education saved her during homelessness  14:54 – HRSA grant 18:58 – The beginning of the diversity and mentorship program 23:49 – How she found out about nurse anesthesia 27:47 – Stats on nurses of color 31:38 – Financial barrier to entry 38:33 – An equity issue  40:18 – Lightning Round