My Favorite Learners Podcast

Think you know ABGs? Let’s take your interpretation beyond the basics.

In this episode of My Favorite Learners, we’re breaking down arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation for SRNAs and CRNAs with a focus on understanding the physiology - not just memorizing which arrows go up and down.

We start with a systematic six-step approach to ABG interpretation, then move beyond identifying respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis into the concepts you need for boards and anesthesia practice.

We cover acid-base disorders, appropriate compensation, Winter’s formula, mixed acid-base disorders, anion gap metabolic acidosis, normal anion gap metabolic acidosis, albumin-corrected anion gap, base excess, and oxygenation.

We’ll also connect ABG interpretation to anesthesia-specific clinical scenarios including hypoventilation, one-lung ventilation, bronchospasm, pulmonary embolism, DKA, hemorrhagic shock, massive transfusion, septic shock, and tourniquet release.

Most importantly, we’re moving beyond asking, “What disorder is this?”

Instead, ask:

What is my patient’s physiology trying to tell me - and what do I need to do about it?

Perfect for SRNAs preparing for the NCE, nurse anesthesia students learning advanced ABG interpretation, and CRNAs looking for an acid-base review.

#CRNA #SRNA #NurseAnesthesia #ABG #ABGInterpretation #AcidBase #NCE #CRNABoards #AnesthesiaSchool

Advanced lab interpretation is about more than memorizing normal values -it’s about understanding why a test was ordered, what the result tells you about your patient, and how it changes your anesthetic management.

In this episode of My Favorite Learners, we break down the advanced laboratory testing SRNAs need to understand for the NCE, anesthesia clinicals, and future CRNA practice.

We cover platelet count and function, PT/INR, aPTT, anti-Xa, activated clotting time (ACT), fibrinogen, D-dimer, TEG and ROTEM, and how these tests guide clinical decision-making in anticoagulation, active bleeding, cardiopulmonary bypass, and massive transfusion.

You’ll also learn why massive hemorrhage requires you to think beyond hemoglobin -including ionized calcium, potassium, acid-base status, temperature, perfusion, and the overall physiologic picture.

Throughout the episode, we work through board-style scenarios involving high-dose heparin and ACT before cardiopulmonary bypass, persistent bleeding after protamine, critically low fibrinogen during postpartum hemorrhage, and choosing the appropriate laboratory test for different forms of heparin.

The goal isn't to ask:

“What is the normal value?”

It’s to ask:

“Why was this test ordered? What does it tell me about my patient? And what am I going to do with the result?”

Perfect for SRNAs preparing for the NCE, nurse anesthesia students studying advanced lab interpretation, and CRNAs reviewing perioperative laboratory testing and clinical decision-making.

My Favorite Learners - making anesthesia concepts make sense.

#CRNA #SRNA #NurseAnesthesia #CRNABoards #NCE #AdvancedLabInterpretation #AnesthesiaSchool #TEG #ROTEM #ACT #Coagulation #MassiveTransfusion

12-lead EKG interpretation does NOT have to be overwhelming. 🫀⚡️

In this episode of My Favorite Learners, we break down EKG/ECG monitoring specifically for SRNAs, CRNAs, anesthesia providers, ICU nurses, and anesthesia learners—with simple analogies and clinically relevant pearls you can actually remember.

We start with one of the most confusing concepts: What is the difference between an ECG lead and an electrode?From there, we build a practical understanding of 3-lead, 5-lead, and 12-lead ECG monitoring and why different leads give us different electrical views of the heart.

In this episode, we cover:

🫀 ECG vs EKG terminology
⚡ Electrodes vs leads
🫀 3-lead vs 5-lead vs 12-lead ECG monitoring
⚡ Why anesthesia providers commonly monitor Lead II
🫀 Why V5 is valuable for perioperative ischemia surveillance
⚡ V1 vs V5 and why chest-electrode placement matters
🫀 Correct V1–V6 electrode placement
⚡ Limb leads vs precordial leads
🫀 Inferior, septal, anterior, and lateral ECG leads
⚡ A simple way to understand cardiac axis
🫀 Left axis deviation vs right axis deviation
⚡ Left bundle branch block vs right bundle branch block
🫀 Contiguous leads and myocardial ischemia/infarction
⚡ ST-segment changes during anesthesia
🫀 Myocardial oxygen supply vs demand
⚡ High-yield ECG pearls for SRNAs and nurse anesthesia boards

One of the biggest takeaways: Lead II and V5 aren't valuable for the same reason. Lead II gives us excellent atrial activity and rhythm information, while V5 provides valuable surveillance for ischemic ST-segment changes. Together, they give anesthesia providers two very different—and clinically important—views of what's happening with the heart.

Instead of memorizing random ECG patterns, we're focusing on understanding where each lead is looking, what it's seeing, and why that matters for your anesthetic.

🎧 My Favorite Learners is a pharmacology and anesthesia education podcast designed to make difficult concepts easier to understand for SRNAs, CRNAs, nurses, and anesthesia learners.

If you know, you know.

#SRNA #CRNA #NurseAnesthesia #Anesthesia #AnesthesiaSchool #EKG #ECG #EKGInterpretation #ECGInterpretation #12LeadECG #CardiacMonitoring #LeadII #V5 #MyocardialIschemia #CardiacAxis #NursingEducation

Pediatric and obstetric anesthesia can feel overwhelming when you're first starting clinical - but they don't have to be.

In this episode of My Favorite Learners, we simplify two of the most intimidating anesthesia rotations by focusing on physiology first. Instead of memorizing countless facts and syndromes, you'll learn why pediatric and obstetric patients get into trouble and how that changes your anesthetic management.

Whether you're preparing for your first pediatric or OB clinical rotation, studying for the NBCRNA NCE, or looking for a high-yield anesthesia physiology review, this episode will give you a strong clinical foundation.

✅ Pediatric airway anatomy and why even 1 mm of airway edema matters
✅ Why infants desaturate so quickly (oxygen consumption & functional residual capacity)
✅ Pediatric cardiac physiology and why hypoxemia should be your first consideration when an infant becomes bradycardic
✅ Pediatric pharmacology pearls including MAC changes, neonatal drug metabolism, protein binding, and common OR cases
✅ Pregnancy physiology and how it changes the airway, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and pharmacologic responses to anesthesia
✅ Why pregnancy dramatically changes nearly every organ system we care about as anesthesia providers
✅ Labor epidurals, spinal anesthesia, combined spinal-epidurals (CSEs), and the physiology behind spinal hypotension
✅ Why phenylephrine is the current first-line vasopressor for spinal-induced hypotension during cesarean delivery
✅ Obstetric emergencies including high spinal, local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST), and postpartum hemorrhage
✅ Classic NBCRNA board pearls and clinical questions you're likely to hear from preceptors

• Don't memorize every syndrome - understand the physiology, and the anesthetic management becomes much easier.
• Pediatric bradycardia should immediately make you evaluate oxygenation and ventilation.
• Pregnancy produces profound physiologic changes that influence every anesthetic plan.
• Many institutions use early video laryngoscopy for high-risk obstetric airways, but airway management should always follow your institution's protocols and clinical judgment.
• The goal isn't to memorize drug doses - it's to understand why patients respond the way they do.

If you're an SRNA, CRNA student, anesthesia resident, or practicing anesthesia provider, this episode will help you connect physiology, pharmacology, and clinical anesthesia in a way that's easy to remember on boards and in the operating room.

🎙️ My Favorite Learners is a podcast designed to simplify anesthesia education through physiology, pharmacology, clinical stories, board pearls, and real-world anesthesia practice.

Keywords: CRNA, SRNA, Nurse Anesthesia, NBCRNA, NCE, Pediatric Anesthesia, Obstetric Anesthesia, OB Anesthesia, Pediatric Airway, Labor Epidural, Cesarean Section, C-Section Anesthesia, Spinal Anesthesia, Epidural, Combined Spinal Epidural (CSE), Pediatric Pharmacology, Pregnancy Physiology, Anesthesia Physiology, Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity (LAST), Postpartum Hemorrhage, Phenylephrine, Airway Management, Board Review

Today we’re diving into the future of anesthesia pharmacology with three major topics changing perioperative practice: Remimazolam, Sugammadex, and Novel Opioids. These medications were designed to improve what we care about most—faster recovery, safer profiles, more predictable pharmacokinetics, and better patient outcomes.

In this episode, we break down:

✔️ Remimazolam – the ultra-short acting benzodiazepine with esterase metabolism, rapid recovery, and potential hemodynamic advantages over propofol
✔️ Sugammadex – the game-changing reversal agent for rocuronium and vecuronium, including dosing, mechanisms, risks, and board pearls
✔️ Novel Opioids – including biased agonists like oliceridine, and the ongoing search for analgesia with fewer side effects

We also cover:
🎯 High-yield NBCRNA/NCE pharmacology points
🎯 Clinical pros and cons of each drug
🎯 Real-world barriers like cost, adoption, and safety concerns
🎯 How to think like an anesthesia provider—not just memorize drugs

Whether you’re an SRNA, CRNA, resident, or anesthesia nerd who loves pharmacology, this episode will help you connect the science to clinical practice.

Three life-threatening syndromes. Similar presentations. Very different causes and treatments. In this episode, Chloe Gomez, DNP, CRNA, breaks down how to quickly differentiate Serotonin Syndrome, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), and Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) - a must-know topic for anesthesia learners and board prep.

We cover:
✔️ Key clinical signs and classic presentations
✔️ Triggering medications and anesthetic agents
✔️ Rigidity vs clonus vs hyperreflexia
✔️ Why ETCO₂ matters in MH
✔️ Treatment plans: cyproheptadine, dantrolene, bromocriptine, supportive care
✔️ High-yield NBCRNA/NCE test pearls
✔️ Real-world perioperative implications

If you’ve ever mixed these up, this episode will help you organize them fast and remember what matters most when seconds count.

🎧 Perfect for SRNAs, CRNAs, and anyone studying advanced pharmacology.

What makes a CRNA school applicant stand out—and what mistakes can hurt your chances before the interview even begins? In this special panel episode of My Favorite Learners, I sit down with the leadership of the UC Davis Nurse Anesthesia Program admissions team: Dr. Bryan Tune, Dr. Becky Ashlock, Dr. Jake Sareerak, and Dr. Terence Burrows. Together, we discuss what admissions committees value most, common pitfalls applicants make, and how future SRNAs can position themselves for success. If CRNA school is in your future, this is the insider conversation you’ve been waiting for.

In this episode of My Favorite Learners, we break down three high-stakes anesthesia emergencies that every provider must recognize quickly: cyanide toxicity, carbon monoxide poisoning, and methemoglobinemia.

You’ll learn how to differentiate these conditions in real time when oxygenation doesn’t match the clinical picture, why standard monitors can be misleading, and how to choose the correct treatment under pressure.

We cover key mechanisms, classic board-style clues, and the pharmacology behind life-saving antidotes - so you can think fast, act confidently, and be ready for both the OR and the NCE.

Antihypertensive medications don’t have to feel overwhelming or memorization-heavy. In this solo lecture, Chloe Gomez, DNP, CRNA breaks down antihypertensive pharmacology through physiology, mechanisms of action, and real-world anesthesia implications - exactly what SRNAs, CRNAs, and anesthesia providers need for boards and the operating room.

This episode walks through the major classes of antihypertensives, focusing on how each drug lowers blood pressure rather than relying on disconnected lists. You’ll learn how antihypertensives interact with preload, afterload, heart rate, contractility, and systemic vascular resistance, and why those effects matter during induction, maintenance, and emergence from anesthesia.

Key topics covered include:

• Beta blockers (β₁ vs β₂ effects, perioperative continuation, blunted sympathetic response)

• ACE inhibitors (ACE-Is) & ARBs: RAAS physiology, vasodilation, and refractory hypotension

• Calcium channel blockers (DHP vs non-DHP): vascular vs nodal effects

• Alpha agonists and antagonists

• How antihypertensives alter MAP, CO, SVR, and reflex tachycardia

• Why certain antihypertensives increase the risk of induction hypotension

• What to hold, continue, or anticipate on the day of surgery

Throughout the episode, complex pharmacology is tied directly to:

• Hemodynamic management in anesthesia

• Common board scenarios and NBCRNA-style reasoning

• Vasopressor choice and response

• Drug interactions with propofol, volatile agents, opioids, and neuraxial anesthesia

This lecture emphasizes understanding over memorization, helping anesthesia learners build a framework they can use in high-stakes clinical moments - not just exam day.

🎧 Antihypertensives explained for anesthesia learners - fewer flashcards, more confidence, safer patients.

Antiarrhythmics don’t have to feel like chaos. In this solo lecture, CRNA educator Chloe Gomez, DNP, CRNA breaks down antiarrhythmic pharmacology using clear physiology, memorable frameworks, and anesthesia-specific clinical relevance - perfect for SRNAs, CRNAs, and anesthesia providers preparing for boards and clinical practice.

This episode walks step-by-step through the Vaughan Williams classification system (Class I–IV) and explains why these drugs work, not just what list they belong to. You’ll learn how antiarrhythmics interact with sodium, potassium, calcium channels, and beta receptors, and how those effects translate to changes in phase 0 depolarization, action potential duration, refractory periods, and conduction velocity.

Key topics covered include:

• Class I sodium channel blockers (IA, IB, IC): how they alter phase 0, QRS width, and conduction

• Class II beta blockers: AV node effects, rate control, and anesthesia considerations

• Class III potassium channel blockers: action potential prolongation, QT interval risk, and torsades

• Class IV calcium channel blockers: nodal suppression and hemodynamic effects

• Why electrolytes (K⁺, Mg²⁺) matter when using antiarrhythmics

• How antiarrhythmics can become pro-arrhythmic

• What anesthesia providers must watch for in the OR, ICU, and PACU

This lecture emphasizes mechanism-based understanding, tying pharmacology directly to:

• ECG changes

• Perioperative risk stratification

• Volatile anesthetics and arrhythmia risk

• Drug interactions common in anesthesia practice

• Board-style clinical reasoning for the NBCRNA NCE

If you’ve ever memorized the Vaughan Williams classes and immediately forgotten them, this episode is designed to finally make antiarrhythmics stick - so you can reason through arrhythmias with confidence instead of panic.

🎧 Antiarrhythmics decoded for anesthesia learners - fewer tables, more understanding, safer practice.