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

In this episode of The Mindful SRNA/RRNA Podcast, I sit down with Amber CRNA for one of the most honest, human conversations we've ever had about the CRNA journey—and what happens when life doesn't wait for your plans.

We talk about the deep connection CRNAs share, the truth that everyone has a story, and how Amber's path to nurse anesthesia wasn't linear: retaking classes, applying to schools, preparing for CRNA school after being out of school for 13 years, and learning how to trust her "why" even when the road got hard.

Just as CRNA school was beginning, Amber's family was hit with a devastating diagnoses. She opens up about how she worked with her program, handled the chaos of school, and what truly carried her through when everything felt overwhelming.

This episode is about more than getting through CRNA school—it's about who you become when life happens, how illness can reshape your purpose, and why the quality of your life is determined by the stories you tell yourself.

Plus we discuss her career pivot and how to avoid the mistakes she made when she made the decision to work from home and step away from anesthesia for a bit.

We talk about:
• How Amber knew she wanted to be a CRNA
• Being out of school for over a decade before starting anesthesia training
• What really got her through the hardest moments
• Why your "why" matters more than your circumstances
• How she chose her first job and her advice for passing the NCE
• Was CRNA school worth it?
• Using CRNA as a stepping stone and making a career pivot
• How she transitioned out of clinical anesthesia into entrepreneurship
• Taking a CRNA gap year: what she'd do differently
• The CRNA skills that transfer into business—and the mindset of always figuring it out

⚠️ Trigger Warning: We discuss miscarriage around the 27:00 mark, as well as becoming a mother later in life.

If you're in CRNA school, thinking about applying, facing personal challenges, or wondering what's possible after graduation—this conversation will remind you: you will be okay when life happens.

Because your journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's to be meaningful.

CONNECT WITH AMBER:

IG @amber_muhlhan

Her Functional Medicine Website: Restore My Vitality

FB Page

It's a new year—and we're starting with a truth every CRNA needs to hear: you don't have to have it all figured out.

In this return-to-the-podcast episode, Amanda Kay dives into a question flooding her DMs:
"Did I get enough regional experience?"
"What if I lose my skills?"
"What job should I take so I don't fall behind?"

But the real conversation isn't just about nerve blocks—it's about what they represent: confidence, competence, ego, fear, and the pressure to prove yourself.

This episode explores:

• What to do if you didn't get as much regional or OB experience as you wanted

• How to relearn skills without shame or panic

• Why "figuring it out" is not a flaw—but a lifelong feature of growth

• Muscle memory, humility, and the power of curiosity over ego

• Navigating job decisions, confidence gaps, and systemic limitations

• Practical ways to grow your skills—even if your environment doesn't prioritize them

Amanda also shares deeply personal stories—from relearning epidurals and central lines to a powerful reflection from her CRNA graduation speech and mission work in Kenya—reminding you that you were trained for more than you think.

Whether you're in CRNA school, a new grad, or years into practice, this episode is an invitation to release perfection, embrace growth, and trust yourself again.

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LINKS MENTIONED:

Muscle memory article: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-muscle-memory

Regional anesthesia conferences:

www.aana.com

https://www.twinoaksanesthesia.com

https://www.twinoaksanesthesia.com/courses

https://mtsa.edu/events/

POST CRNA School Course: https://mtsa.edu/academics/regionalfoundations/

For Coaching & Resources: www.amandakaycrna.com

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