Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Knowledge, Confidence, And Attitude Toward Virtual Care And Telehealth Among Graduate Nursing Students, Natasha Asante

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth and virtual healthcare modalities have become primary care delivery methods. The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AACN) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) support using virtual care and telehealth technology in health care services. Although most healthcare institutions utilize telehealth to provide care, emerging research highlights the lack of telehealth training in Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN) education. However, no standard curriculum requirements mandate graduate nursing programs to train APRN students in telehealth or virtual health modalities. Due to the lack of training for APRNs, it can be very challenging for …

Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines: Anesthesia For Total Knee And Hip Arthroplasty, Amanda Kleinfelder

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Total knee and hip arthroplasty are the two most common orthopedic surgeries in the United States. Traditional perioperative practice is multidisciplinary, with each professional, including anesthesia, making decisions based on their current knowledge or past experience. Postoperative complications pose a threat to any patient undergoing a surgical procedure. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols were developed to streamline best practice guidelines during the perioperative period. ERAS pathways aim to decrease postoperative complications, accelerate recovery after surgery, decrease narcotic use and promote early mobilization and discharge from the hospital. The aim of this project is the development of evidence-based practice …

Final Scholarly Project: Development Of Evidenced-Based Practice Guidelines For Female Patients Undergoing Anesthesia For Breast Cancer Surgery, Alexa High

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

In the United States, the rate at which cancer is diagnosed is on the rise. In women, breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosis, following skin cancer, with approximately one in eight women developing breast cancer in their lifetime. When a patient receives a breast cancer diagnosis, the oncologic team will discuss the most suitable treatment plan for the patient, this often includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Within the last few decades, research has shown that there may be a correlation between anesthetic medications and breast cancer metastasis. This project aims to create an evidence-based anesthesia guideline …

Incorporation Of Mindfulness Application Use In Doctoral Nurse Anesthesia Curricula For Mitigation Of Stress And Anxiety In Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Kerrie Rodgers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

The nurse anesthesia specialty is highly stressful, with educational training being no exception. High didactic demands and intensive clinical experiences are placed on student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs), increasing stress and anxiety in their personal and professional lives. High levels of psychological distress can lead to inadvertent consequences in students’ mental, emotional, and physical health and can contribute to illness, burnout, substance use, and compromise in patient safety. Some degree of stress is necessary for motivation to succeed and perform at high levels, and encountering stress while enrolled in a doctoral nurse anesthesia program is expected and unavoidable. A search …

Routine Evaluation With Gastric Ultrasound To Reduce Gastric Aspiration (Regurga), Joel Jackson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

When a patient undergoes anesthesia, there are inherent risks that the providers should protect the patient from. Despite adherence to fasting guidelines established by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), patients undergoing anesthesia continue to experience intrapulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. There are several factors that delay gastric emptying, including coexisting disease, trauma, pain, and opioid use. Gastric ultrasound assessment of the gastric antrum is a relatively new technology in anesthesia and can be used to assess the gastric antrum and provide information to anesthesia providers regarding the risk of aspiration in the perioperative period. The primary aim of this …

Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines For The Surgical Patient With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Aaron Mcneilan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a medical condition which many people may be affected by but may be unaware of the presence of the condition. The incidence of OSA has increased in direct correlation with the rising rate of obesity in the general population. While chronic conditions may arise if OSA goes untreated, patients with OSA also have an increased risk for acute complications following surgical procedures such as airway obstruction, hypoxia, brain damage, and death. Many anesthetic medications administered during surgery exacerbate the pathological consequences of OSA, predisposing patients to adverse respiratory events during the recovery period following a …

Viscoelastic Monitoring In Major Hepatic Surgery: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Randy Kinietz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Patients undergoing major hepatic surgery are at high risk for intraoperative transfusion of allogenic blood products. These patients are at increased risk due to pre-existing hepatic pathology, surgical stress, and the complexity of surgical procedures. While blood product transfusion may be necessary to support hemostasis and hemodynamics, it is not without risk. Current literature states that viscoelastic monitoring is superior to traditional laboratory values when guiding transfusion during major hepatic surgery. Viscoelastic monitoring is a term used to describe the measurement of change in viscoelastic properties of whole blood during clot formation. There are two readily available point-of-care types – …

General Anesthesia Clinical Practice Guidelines For Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Bradley Closson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

General anesthesia is an induced state of unconsciousness administered by anesthesia providers to obtain patient amnesia, analgesia, and akinesia. Adult patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at risk for general anesthesia-related complications throughout the perioperative setting. Emergence delirium is a clinically significant postoperative complication that patients with PTSD have an increased risk of developing. Postoperative complications of emergence delirium include patient or medical staff injury, surgical site damage, prolonged postanesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, and increased medical care costs. Evidence demonstrates that implementing preventive interventions decreases the incidence of emergence delirium. There are no standardized, evidence-based general anesthesia guidelines …

Development Of An Evidence-Based Crna Preceptor Training Program, Emmanuel Mensah

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

A preceptor is an experienced clinician who is expected to facilitate a student's learning experience. Preceptorship is the relationship between a staff nurse and student, focusing on the development of clinical skills and knowledge. Initially introduced by Florence Nightingale in the 1800s, the concept was quickly adopted by nurse anesthetists and is a staple of the anesthesia practice today. As it stands, many Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) preceptors do not receive formal training in their role, which may lead to a decrease in teaching ability and confidence to face broad teaching-learning issues. A lack of preparation hinders preceptor outcomes …

Recommending An Eras Guideline For Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty, Kahl Knapke

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a comprehensive guideline that guides patients' care throughout their surgical journey. ERAS is intended to reduce the body’s response to the many stressors of surgery. ERAS is proven effective in various specialty surgical areas, including orthopedics. Orthopedic surgery rates increase parallel with the patient population ages, indicating a need for more joint replacements. Implementing an ERAS guideline reduces healthcare costs to the patient and hospital facility by reducing the length of stay (LOS) and complications postoperatively. The investigation revealed a lack of consistent direction of care, and the developed approach for patients undergoing joint …

An Evidence-Based Strategy For The Use Of Simulation To Assess Situation Awareness In Applicants To Nurse Anesthesia Programs, Angela Lee

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Medical errors are considered one of the top causes of patient death. Closed claims analysis reveals an estimated 50% of claims are associated with preventable events by the anesthesia provider. Errors in anesthesia leading to critical incidents are associated with errors in situation awareness (SA). Identification of human factor variables, such as SA, provides an analysis of observable behavior and intuition necessary to guide crisis management, maintain clinical performance, and mitigate errors in patient safety. The human factor components of human error and SA play critical roles in patient safety and overall clinical anesthesia practice. The viability of simulation assessment …

Guidelines For The Optimal Assessment Of Airway To Predict Difficult Intubation, Morgan Kleinfelder

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Managing the airway is the cornerstone of anesthesia care. However, difficult airway or intubation is not clearly defined. A major complication with a difficult airway is a cannot intubate, cannot ventilate (CICV) situation, which is reported to be as high as 10%. In addition, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Closed Claim Study, "Adverse respiratory events are the most common type of injury, with difficult intubation [DI] and ventilation contributing to most of the cases. Twenty-eight percent of all anesthesia deaths are related to a CICV situation. As anesthesia evolves, basic airway assessments were developed and include mallampati …

Educating Nurses On Frequent Oral Care For Mechanically Ventilated Patients: An Evidence-Based Practice Project Proposal, Grace Alford, Susan Butz, Ruth Chavez, Joy Shoemaker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

The final scholarly project proposal is to implement oral care education for nurses in an intensive care unit (ICU). The proposal aims to create a guideline for an investigator to implement oral care recommendations for mechanically ventilated patients in order to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The proposal consists of obtaining VAP data and oral care charting data for the unit studied, steps for providing oral care education, and analysis recommendations. Oral care involves swabbing the patient’s mouth every two hours with a swab and mouthwash. Oral care education would include handouts and direct teaching. The proposal aims to increase oral …

Evaluating Nurses’ Turnover Intention And Organizational Commitment Following Stroke Unit Staffing Changes: An Evidence-Based Quality Initiative, Heather M. Tatusko Phiri

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Nurses are known to be overworked, overwhelmed, undervalued, and understaffed at dangerous levels throughout various inpatient hospital units across the United States (U.S.). Hospital registered nurse (RN) turnover is a significant issue that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in economic impacts and other burdens for organizations, individuals, and communities. Evidence suggests that evaluating Registered Nurses’ Turnover intention (NTI) and Organizational Commitment (OC) can help maintain a ready and capable team of skilled RNs; however, most healthcare organizations (HCOs) do not collect or analyze NTI and OC data and focus on staffing numbers and monetary incentives to get adequate …

Development Of Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Prevention Of Peripheral Neurological Injury During Robotic-Assisted Prostatectomies For Patients In The Steep Trendelenburg Position, Tyler Wolpert

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is becoming more prevalent in modern surgical practice and is currently being utilized in a range of surgical specialties from colorectal and gynecological procedures to bariatrics and orthopedics. Every surgical procedure has potential risk to patients, however robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomies (RALP) in the steep Trendelenburg (ST) position poses unique risk for peripheral nerve injury (PNI). Despite attempts to reduce the incidence rate of PNI during RALP, injuries are still occurring to patients causing patient harm and anesthesia provider litigation. The implementation of a CRNA based safety checklist may reduce the incidence rate of PNI and provider litigation …

Development Of A Rotem-Guided Transfusion Algorithm In Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients, Kourtney Jane Snyder

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Cardiothoracic surgical patients are at an increased risk for bleeding complications for various reasons, including induction of hypothermia, initiation of the coagulation cascade, degradation of the coagulation factors, mechanical destruction of platelets, and a systemic inflammatory response due to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM)-guided transfusion algorithms for perioperative blood management; however, there remains a heavy reliance on conventional coagulation laboratory values. Utilization of the following PICOT question will guide this project: In cardiothoracic surgical patients, how does the use of ROTEM versus traditional coagulation laboratory tests (PT, INR, aPTT, ACT, platelet count, …

Development Of Evidence-Based Practice Anesthesia Guidelines For Brain-Dead Organ Donors, Kelly Dzialowski

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Organ donation is a gift of life for both donors and recipients that can come from living donors, donors after cardiac death, or brain-dead donors (BDDs). Treating the donors with optimal care throughout the entire donation process is crucial due to organ supply shortages. Organs from BDDs are a large contributor to the number of organs donated each year and require critical care from the time of admission, declaration of brain death, and throughout the organ procurement surgery. Although each BDD requires meticulous care for successful retrieval and donation, there is a lack of evidence-based practice (EBP) guidelines for anesthesia …

Preprocedural Ultrasound For Labor Neuraxial Anesthesia: Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations, Nicholas Anderson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Central neuraxial blockade (CNB) is the most widely used method of anesthesia provided to laboring patients and includes epidural, spinal, combined spinal-epidural, and caudal techniques. Studies have shown that using preprocedural ultrasound is a safe and effective tool to facilitate the placement of neuraxial needles, especially in patients with predicted difficulty. With the prevalence of obesity increasing, laboring patients with predicted difficulty of neuraxial needle placement is increasing as well. In addition, the traditional method of palpation and visualization of anatomical landmarks to place neuraxial needles can produce inaccurate results due to inconsistencies between patients. Use of preprocedural ultrasound to …

Evaluating Nurses’ Turnover Intention And Organizational Commitment Following Stroke Unit Staffing Changes: An Evidence-Based Quality Initiative, Heather Tatusko

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Nurses are known to be overworked, overwhelmed, undervalued, and understaffed at dangerous levels throughout various inpatient hospital units across the United States (U.S.). Hospital registered nurse (RN) turnover is a significant issue that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in economic impacts and other burdens for organizations, individuals, and communities. Evidence suggests that evaluating Registered Nurses’ Turnover intention (NTI) and Organizational Commitment (OC) can help maintain a ready and capable team of skilled RNs; however, most healthcare organizations (HCOs) do not collect or analyze NTI and OC data and focus on staffing numbers and monetary incentives to get adequate …

Development And Implementation Of An Evidence Based Practice Guideline Related To The Management Of Adult Angioedema, Megan Przybysz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Angioedema (AE) is a potentially life-threatening medical condition that occurs with a higher frequency than medical providers may expect, with the emergency department (ED) serving as the usual first point of medical contact for patients. Any hesitation in recognizing AE or inconsideration of the disease process in differential diagnoses may lead to a dangerous delay of care. Due to the potential rapid progression of airway obstruction in AE, inexperienced providers should not attempt intubation, instead deferring to providers experienced in alternative airway techniques (i.e., anesthesia providers). The primary goal of this project is to develop an evidencebased practice guideline for …

Final Scholarly Project: Optimal Perioperative Analgesic Management Guidelines For Elective Hip Arthroplasty In Adults, Makyah Dittoe

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Hip arthroplasty, a frequently performed orthopedic surgery, is gaining popularity. However, postoperative pain, opioid utilization, nausea, and vomiting are common side effects associated with this procedure. Perioperative analgesic management for hip arthroplasty varies among providers, leading to possible inadequate pain management. The goal of this scholarly project is to provide an optimal perioperative analgesic guideline to decrease postoperative pain, opioid consumption, nausea, and vomiting in adults undergoing elective hip arthroplasty utilizing evidence-based practice. The evidence suggests that a multimodal analgesic approach incorporating multiple drug classes and types of anesthesia is most effective in reducing adverse postoperative outcomes. Using the Johns …

Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations For The Use Of A Cardiac Optimization Algorithm In Patients Undergoing A Whipple Procedure, Jarrod Genther

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

A fundamental responsibility of a certified registered nurse anesthetist includes intraoperative fluid and hemodynamic management. While Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols advocate goal-directed fluid therapy, the methodology remains controversial. An algorithmic approach systematically optimizes cardiac function and fluid volume status based on stroke volume variation, cardiac index, and mean arterial pressure. This project aims to evaluate the effects of placing intraoperative guidelines for patients undergoing a Whipple procedure when using a cardiac optimization algorithm to guide fluid and vasopressor management. The outcomes evaluated included the amount of fluids delivered intraoperatively, vasoactive medication administration, urine output, amount of blood transfusions, cardiac …

Development Of Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines For Perioperative Multimodal Analgesia During Spine Surgery, Jonathan Wagner

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

The most common cause of adult disability is chronic back pain. As medication maintenance therapy becomes ineffective, surgical intervention is the last resort for treatment. Patients with chronic pain often rely on pain medication such as opioids for relief. The exposure and dependency of opioids can create unique challenges for anesthesia providers to deliver safe and adequate anesthesia for surgery. Patient’s dependent on chronic opioids develops many adverse effects including sleep disordered breathing, suppression of the immune system, and higher risk of developing cardiovascular events under stress. There is a lack of consistent perioperative guidelines for patients undergoing spinal surgery …

Evidence-Based Recommendations For The Use Of Neostigmine Versus Sugammadex In Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgery, Ostap Dvorakevych

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Neuromuscular blocking agents play a vital role in the safe delivery of modern anesthetic practice. These medications provide patient paralysis for anesthesia staff to perform tracheal intubation and for surgeons to have a motionless surgical field. At the end of surgery, the effects of these paralytic agents must be fully reversed by reversal agents. Incomplete reversal impairs the patient’s ability to maintain an airway, which can lead to various postoperative pulmonary complications such as respiratory failure, pneumonia, and atelectasis. Patients undergoing thoracic surgery are at high risk for this incomplete reversal due to deep levels of paralysis required to keep …

Music For Anxiolysis In Primigravida Undergoing Cesarean Delivery Under Neuraxial Anesthesia, Jonathan Garcia

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Primigravida women undergoing cesarean section under neuraxial anesthesia frequently suffer from anxiety in the perioperative period. Literature suggests this population suffers disproportionately due to gender, surgical naiveness, lack of birthing experience, fear of complications, and exposure to the operating theatre’s noxious environment. Despite the high anxiety prevalence and numerous negative consequences, safe treatment options are lacking. Unfortunately, contemporary pharmacologic therapy to treat anxiety threatens the parturient and the fetus. However, the field of medicine has long appreciated music’s physiologically calming effects on the body. This project details a literature search, review, synthesis, and analysis of the available literature supporting and …

Development Of Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines For Pediatric Patients At Risk Of Emergence Delirium, Christina Bensley

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Postoperative emergence agitation or emergence delirium (ED) is a phenomenon that can occur in patients who have undergone surgery requiring the administration of inhaled anesthetics. ED is a postoperative side effect of general anesthesia commonly experienced by pediatric patients that negatively impacts a patient’s overall postoperative experience. There is a lack of consistent standardized clinical practice guidelines for general anesthesia in pediatric or adult populations. The primary goal of this scholarly project is to develop and implement clinical practice guidelines focusing on the occurrence of postoperative ED and select adverse clinical outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia. The project …

Final Scholarly Project: Clinical Guidelines For The Perioperative Management Of Patients With Opioid Use Disorder Requiring Anesthesia, Jessica Kayla Joos

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Opioids have highly addictive properties that allow for high levels of misuse. Since the early 1990s, the misuse and deaths rates related to narcotics have steadily risen in the United States. Efforts to identify individuals using opioids prior to surgery have proven difficult. The number of patients misusing opioids and reporting for surgery can only be estimated due to under-reporting related to fear and self-stigma. With 50 million surgeries in the U.S. annually and 3.32 million people misusing opioids monthly, the chances of a patient with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) presenting for anesthesia are exceptionally high. Moreover, patients who rate …

Final Scholarly Project: Implementation Guidelines Of Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia In Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Patients, Matthew Hall

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

In the United States, around 40,000 surgeries are conducted on pediatric patients yearly to address congenital heart disease. These surgeries involve a variety of complications beyond cardiovascular problems, including pain management. Traditional pain management involving intravenous opioids has drawbacks such as sedation, respiratory depression, and prolonged recovery times. As the healthcare industry moves away from opioid-centric pain management, the use of multimodal analgesia, including ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, is being utilized. Regional anesthesia techniques, such as the transversus thoracis muscle plane block and the thoracic erector spinae block, are being considered for the ability to provide adequate pain relief while reducing …

Guidelines For Non-Anesthesia Providers Performing Point Of Care Ultrasound (Pocus) For Airway Assessment In The Emergency Room, Shannen Steinbrunner

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Effective airway management is critical for nurse anesthetists, encompassing tasks such as anesthesia administration, airway establishment, and patient safety, particularly in challenging cases where airway difficulties may arise. The subjectivity in airway assessments poses challenges for clinicians when accurately predicting difficult cases. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a valuable tool for quantifying airway parameters, providing objective data to guide decision-making. This project aims to establish evidence-based guidelines for managing the airway in unconscious trauma patients requiring intubation using POCUS. By quantifying parameters such as PEP/E-VC ratios, hyomental distance, thyrohyoid membrane thickness, and anterior neck thickness, healthcare providers can make …

Enhancing Srna Confidence: Integrating Simulation-Based Crm Training With Didactic Education To Improve Intraoperative Recognition, Communication, And Management Of Intraoperative Cardiac Arrest, Melissa Lee

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Within the operating room (OR), the ability to identify deteriorating patient conditions and effectively communicate, is essential to delivering safe and efficient care. Although rare, the critical nature of emergent events necessitates early recognition and prompt intervention by an experienced anesthesia provider. The complexity of emergency management is often related to diagnostic ambiguity, individual provider experience, and disruptions of the fast-paced OR environment, requiring appropriate training methods for proficient execution. However, student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) often lack sufficient exposure to emergent clinical scenarios, leading to delayed intervention and diminished confidence during crisis management. An evidence-based simulation education guideline for …