Ep 181: The CRNA Coroner – Another Avenue to Serve

As more and more CRNAs are trying to find their place in the political setting, Jennifer Banek, CRNA found her own path to serving. In 2020, Banek was elected Coroner in Lake County, Illinois, and she’s currently holding that position alongside her job as a nurse anesthetist. She joins the show today to share her unique story and pull back the curtain on the campaign and election process for those aspiring to run for office in the future.   About our guest: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/450/Coroners-Office   Read more: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com    Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf   Today's Key Topics:  2:27 – Welcome in Jennifer 3:28 – What we’re talking about today 4:45 – Her path to politics 10:26 – Getting signatures 13:35 – The campaigning process   20:25 – How many states did she fundraise from 22:04 – Election and challenges 24:00 – Husband deployed during the election 25:14 – What does Coroner’s Office do? 28:30 – How nurse anesthetist training benefits this position 30:51 – Balancing Coroner and CRNA roles 32:03 – How running for office changed her perspective 35:59 – Her future in politics 37:20 – Final thoughts