What if the path you think is non-traditional is actually your greatest advantage?

In this episode of The Mindful Nurse Anesthesia Resident Podcast, Amanda sits down for an honest, grounding conversation about letting go of the "shoulds" surrounding CRNA school, clinical training, and life after graduation—and learning to trust the path that's uniquely yours with Kendall CRNA, the creator of Vital Pro Docs.

From not starting in a traditional ICU, to navigating CRNA school during COVID, to failing her first exam and specializing right after school, this episode normalizes the realities many aspiring CRNAs quietly worry about but rarely say out loud.

Together, we explore:

• Why there is no single "right" ICU background for CRNA school

• How non-traditional ICU experience and even Med-Surg experience can actually make you a stronger CRNA

• Reflection points to help you uncover your future CRNA superpower before CRNA school interviews

• Why hobbies, presence, and identity outside of school matter more than you think

• The incredible pivot she made in CRNA shcool during Covid

• Honest conversations about being married in CRNA school—and the support it requires

• Failing your first exam, study tips that actually work, and learning to tolerate imperfection

• Did you feel prepared when you graduated? How to choose your first CRNA job

• Is OB right out of CRNA school really "allowed"? (Yes—and here's why she loved it)

• The essence of what being a CRNA truly is

• The privilege of pressure and learning to rise without burning out

• Locums tips, credentialing frustrations (and solutions), and life after CRNA school

This episode is for aspiring CRNAs who feel behind, different, or unsure if they're "doing it right."

✨ Because the truth is:
There is no right way.
There is only the way life takes.

And sometimes the path that looks the least traditional is the one preparing you most.

IG: @vitalprodocs, @kendall_crna

Vital Pro Docs Website