Discover Cape Cod 2023 Encore Symposium

Cherie Burke, PhD(c), DNP, CRNA, APRN, FAAN

Dr. Cherie Burke, Director of the School of Nursing at Loyola University, New Orleans, has been a registered nurse for over 35 years and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) for 30 years. She has worked in every practice setting except the military. Cherie has also taught at Rutgers University Nurse Anesthesia Program, was an Assistant Program Director at the University of New England, and was Program Director of Rush University’s Nurse Anesthesia Program. Her extensive experience and years of advocating for CRNAs have afforded her the opportunity to experience both the trials and triumphs of the profession. Cherie completed an Interprofessional Patient Safety Fellowship with the Veteran’s Administration and is an advocate for CRNAs leading the perioperative patient safety agenda.

Cherie is a Ph.D. candidate at Duquesne University. Her dissertation is focusing on decreasing CLABSI. She received her DNP from La Salle University, where she developed an evidence-based teaching plan to integrate patient safety strategies into nurse anesthesia education and integrates patient safety into every course she teaches. Cherie Enjoys lecturing and engaging with other CRNAs.

Shane Garner, CRNA, MS

Shane Garner, CRNA, MS, is a nurse anesthetist at Ripon Medical Center in Ripon, Wisconsin. He graduated from Rosalind Franklin University Nurse Anesthesia Program in 2012 and has recently graduated from the University of South Florida Advanced Pain Management Fellowship. Shane is passionate about acute and chronic pain management through the use of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia and opioid-free multimodal analgesia. His passion for regional anesthesia has led him to develop and integrating cutting-edge regional anesthesia protocols that include peripheral nerve catheter techniques at his hospital. He is in the process of developing his chronic pain management skillset to start his own chronic pain practice. Shane is also adjunct faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Nurse Anesthesia program and enjoys lecturing around the country.

Ryan Shores, DNP, CRNA

Ryan Shores, CRNA, DNP is a certified registered nurse anesthetist with 15 years of experience. Ryan is an Assistant Professor and Director of the University of North Florida Anesthesiology Nursing Program. He currently serves as a staff CRNA at multiple clinical sites in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2002, he received his ASN from Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida, and after two years of RN ICU work, he attended Florida International University for which he earned his MSN in 2006. He received his DNP from the University of North Florida in 2015. He has held a faculty position at UNF for 14 years.

Dr. Shores’s DNP project focused on cost reduction utilizing low flow inhalational anesthesia. His primary topic for publications is in the area of pharmacology. He has chaired and participated in over 35 student oral and poster presentations at the AANA annual congress. He has been lecturing at state, national, and international conferences for the past twelve years.

Dr. Shores is a dynamic speaker who believes that conference attendees bring experience and knowledge to the event. His teaching style includes an emphasis on audience participation and input. His areas of focus include pharmacology, chemistry and physics, regional anesthesia, neuromuscular monitoring, and trauma.

Ryan Stagemeyer, MS, CRNA

Ryan Stagemeyer is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Wesleyan (Bachelors in Exercise Science), Creighton University (Bachelors of Science in Nursing), Bryan College of Health Sciences (Masters of Nurse Anesthesia). Manager of Stagemeyer Anesthesia, LLC providing part-time anesthesia in rural Nebraska. Staff CRNA at Columbus Community Hospital in Columbus Nebraska, an all CRNA group providing anesthesia in rural Nebraska.

He is a past student board member of the Council of Accreditation (COA), a current board member for the Nebraska Association of Nurse Anesthetists (NANA) and an active participant in the Pain Management Task Force in Nebraska.

Kimberly Westra, CRNA, DNP, MSN, APRN, MBAc

Kimberly Westra CRNA, MS, DNP, is a certified registered nurse anesthetist with 21 years of experience and a faculty member of the University of Pennsylvania. She began her career in Baltimore, Maryland with experience as a critical care nurse at Johns Hopkins University. Kimberly is the Chief Nurse Anesthetist at Tidal Health Regional Medical Center in Maryland. Kimberly is the clinical site coordinator at Tidal Health, Johns Hopkins Nurse Anesthesia, University of Maryland Nurse Anesthesia, and Old Dominion University.

Dr. Westra is a doctoral graduate of Chatham University and is an MBA candidate in Healthcare Finance and Administration at Patten University. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau honor society at Chatham and serves in the mentoring program for advanced practice nurses.

Mrs. Westra’s extensive clinical experience includes her role as an RNFA, CNOR, and CPAN. She specializes in difficult airway program development within healthcare networks. Dr. Westra is a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Nurse Anesthesia Program. Kimberly teaches both didactic and hands-on simulation labs to the interdisciplinary team.

Westra is a dynamic and energetic speaker who engages audiences with lively discussions on numerous topics such as CPC Exam Review, Cardiac Anesthesia, Pediatrics, and a variety of anesthesia core concepts. Kimberly speaks locally and nationally on anesthesia clinical topics and healthcare business management.

NBCRNA Representative to be Announced

NBCRNA Representative TBA