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The Locker Room is where guests from the anesthesia world stop by. The answers below are theirs, lightly edited for length and clarity.
PTO is the rarest drug in the department. We guard it, plan around it and count it down. So spending a chunk of it in a hotel ballroom, watching slide 84 while the family heads to the pool, never felt like a fair trade.
Three CRNAs felt the same way. So they built a company around a simple idea: bring the CE on the vacation, instead of building the vacation around a conference.
That company is Anesthesia Escapes. I asked them 11 questions about how it works, what it costs and how to use your CE money on it. Here’s what they said.
The short answer
Anesthesia Escapes sells online, AANA prior-approved CE courses that you complete on whatever trip you’re already taking. You pick the destination and dates, and they build a study itinerary around your trip. Weekend courses are $295 and the longer Getaway courses are $495. You book your own travel. Gas Locker readers get 15% off any course with code GasLocker.
Anesthesia Escapes at a glance
Six courses, 100 Class A/MAC Ed credits in total, all AANA prior-approved. Pharmacology credits are in parentheses, and prices are before the code.
| Course | Credits (pharm) | Trip length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Getaway: Vol. 1 | 25 (8.25) | 3+ days | $495 |
| The Getaway: Vol. 2 | 25 (14.5) | 3+ days | $495 |
| Weekend at the Pharm | 12.5 (7.5) | 1–6 days | $295 |
| Weekend Retreat | 12.5 (7) | 1–6 days | $295 |
| Weekend Wander | 12.5 (4.5) | 1–6 days | $295 |
| Weekend Escape | 12.5 (3.75) | 1–6 days | $295 |
- Format: 100% online. No classroom, no set conference dates.
- What’s included: course content, a custom CE brochure with a suggested study itinerary matched to your trip, a certificate of completion, and credit submission to the AANA for active members.
- Not included: travel and lodging. You book those yourself.
- Owned by: three practicing CRNAs. 100% CRNA owned and operated.
Three CRNAs, one shared frustration
Every good company starts with someone being annoyed enough to fix something. Here’s theirs.
How did Anesthesia Escapes get started? What made you want to build CE around travel?
Anesthesia Escapes started when three CRNAs came together with a shared idea: improve the way CRNAs earn continuing education (CE) while making exceptional customer service to our colleagues a priority.
We have families, and we all love to travel. But we were tired of watching our families have fun while we sat in an auditorium earning our required CEs. We wanted up-to-date CEs that fit into our vacation schedule, not consume it.
So we fixed that! We built Anesthesia Escapes around the flexibility we wanted ourselves, with a personal approach to supporting our CRNA colleagues that gives travel CE a boutique feel. The goal was simple: make it easier to earn required CE while enjoying the people and places you love.
How the courses actually work
Here’s the twist: there’s no seminar to fly to. The course comes with you.
How do the courses work, and how do you pick one?
Flexibility is what makes Anesthesia Escapes unique! All of our courses can be completed online. You can learn wherever you choose to vacation without having to sit in a classroom and miss out on the fun.
We currently offer six different courses totaling 100 MAC Ed credits: two larger courses offering 25 credits each and four weekend-style courses offering 12.5 credits each. Every course also includes pharmacology credits that help meet individual state requirements.
Each course stands on its own. Because every course is AANA prior-approved, content can’t be mixed and matched between courses, so you pick the one course that best fits your vacation plans and CE needs. Our goal is to make quality education fit into your life and your vacation.
How many Class A credits does a course offer, how many count as pharmacology, and how is each course approved?
Our courses offer either 12.5 or 25 MAC Ed/Class A CE credits, with pharmacology included in every course. (The full breakdown is in the table above.)
Every course has been prior-approved by the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), including designation for the pharmacology and therapeutics credits. The pharmacology credits are designed to help CRNAs meet their individual state requirements.
Who picks the destination?
That’s the beauty of Anesthesia Escapes: you, the customer, choose the destination and the dates! Instead of planning your vacation around a set conference schedule, you can build your CE experience around the trip you actually want to take.
For 2026 and 2027, we’re headed wherever our customers want to go. Whether that’s a tropical beach, a mountain retreat, a European adventure or a quick weekend getaway close to home, our online courses go with you. You choose the where and when, and we help make continuing education part of the experience.
How do you choose topics and keep the content current and evidence-based?
Anesthesia Escapes is 100% CRNA owned and operated by three practicing CRNAs, so topic selection starts with the clinical questions and challenges we see in everyday practice. Courses cover subjects such as regional anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia, pediatrics, neuroendocrine conditions, pharmacology and more.
To keep the content current and evidence-based, every source we use is no more than five years old at the time of course publication. Combining recent evidence with firsthand clinical experience keeps the education relevant to the decisions CRNAs make every day.
What it costs, and how your CE money fits in
Most of us have a CE allowance sitting there every year. Here’s how they say it works with their courses.
What does the price include, and what does a typical trip cost all in?
Our weekend courses are $295 each, and our 25-credit Getaway courses are $495 each. Every purchase includes course content, a custom CE brochure with a suggested course itinerary matching your travel itinerary, a certificate of completion, and submission of earned credits to the AANA for active members.
You plan and book your own trip, including travel and lodging, so you control the destination, schedule and budget. The total cost depends entirely on the vacation you choose!
CRNAs may be able to use an employer-provided CE allowance to help cover eligible expenses, and 1099 CRNAs may be able to deduct qualifying education and related travel expenses. We provide the education, but we’re not tax professionals. Please check with your employer and/or a qualified tax professional before purchasing for guidance on reimbursement, eligible expenses and your individual situation.
Many CRNAs have CE money from their employer. What paperwork do you provide, and what should attendees keep for their records?
We provide a dated receipt for your course purchase, a custom CE brochure matching your travel itinerary, and a dated certificate of course completion.
Keep these along with your travel itinerary and itemized receipts for transportation, lodging and other expenses. When traveling with family or friends, separate the CRNA’s eligible expenses from companions’ personal expenses.
When traveling with others, consider booking one larger room rather than two separate rooms, since the CRNA can only occupy one. Extra lodging costs for companions may not qualify for reimbursement or deduction, so confirm with your employer and/or tax professional.
If you’re 1099, our 1099 Starter Guide covers the basics of tracking business expenses before you book.
Booking, and what happens if plans change
Good news for anyone whose schedule gets posted late: you don’t need to plan months ahead.
How far ahead should someone book, and what’s your cancellation or refund policy?
We recommend purchasing your course at least a day or two before your travel dates. That gives us time to gather any details we need to create your custom CE brochure.
All sales are final, but life happens and plans change! If your vacation falls through or gets rescheduled, we can apply your purchase credit toward a future trip.
We also offer promotional codes throughout the year. Gas Locker readers can use code GasLocker for 15% off any course.
Why not just go to a big conference?
Fair question. Big national meetings have their place. Here’s how they see the difference.
What makes Anesthesia Escapes different from big national conferences or other destination CE companies?
Customer service has been at the heart of Anesthesia Escapes from the beginning. As a company owned and operated by three practicing CRNAs, we offer a personal, boutique experience built around supporting our colleagues.
That support starts before you purchase and continues throughout your course. Whether you have questions about choosing a course, your custom CE brochure or getting started, we’re here to help.
Along with that personal service comes the freedom to choose your own destination, travel dates and learning schedule, so your CE fits your vacation. You can email us anytime, day, night or weekend, at admin@anesthesiaescapes.com.
Planning your first CE trip
What advice would you give a CRNA booking their first CE trip?
Start by choosing the one course that best fits both your travel plans and your CE needs. Our weekend courses fit trips of 1–6 days, and the Getaway courses fit longer trips of three days or more.
When you submit your trip details, include your travel dates and hotel name or lodging address so we can build your custom CE brochure with a suggested itinerary. Staying at a Vrbo or Airbnb? Just send the property’s address.
Most importantly, reach out with any and all questions! Email us at admin@anesthesiaescapes.com before purchasing for help choosing the right option. We’re here to simplify the process, so you can feel confident about your first CE trip and look forward to enjoying your vacation.
The last word
Anything else you’d like Gas Locker readers to know?
Anesthesia Escapes is proud to be 100% CRNA owned and operated, with a commitment to supporting both our colleagues and the future of our profession. That commitment goes beyond continuing education: we have donated, and will continue to donate, to various state PACs to help strengthen and protect the CRNA profession.
As a thank-you to The Gas Locker community, readers can use promo code GasLocker for 15% off any course at www.anesthesiaescapes.com. We look forward to helping you turn your next vacation into a chance to learn, recharge and enjoy time with the people you love most.
Sources
- Anesthesia Escapes: written answers to The Gas Locker’s questions, October 2026
- Anesthesia Escapes: courses and pricing
This post contains affiliate links and a reader code. If you sign up through them, The Gas Locker may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Anesthesia Escapes gave me a free course to review and sent a merch box. The answers above are Anesthesia Escapes’ own, lightly edited for length and clarity. This Q&A is for information only and isn’t tax, legal or financial advice; check reimbursement and deduction rules with your employer or a qualified tax professional. Prices and course details are as provided by Anesthesia Escapes in October 2026 and may change, so check their site before you buy. Cover and images: AI-generated via Google Gemini.
