Perioperative, Operating Room and Surgical Nursing Commons^™

Improving Anesthetic Management Of Pheochromocytoma: ​ ​An Educational Initiative Led By Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists​, Kerryn Nicholls

Scholars Week

Anesthetic management of pheochromocytoma presents challenges to experienced nurse anesthetists and recent graduates alike due to the rarity and complex pathophysiology. The purpose of this DNP project was to provide information and education informed by an extensive literature review regarding the anesthetic management of pheochromocytoma for the benefit of future nurse anesthesia practice. The project was accomplished through an educational presentation and novel clinical care flow chart focused on perioperative anesthetic care of pheochromocytoma excision to an audience of practicing certified registered anesthetists (CRNA’s) in two rural Kentucky hospitals. The findings of this project demonstrated that student nurse anesthesia students …

Improving Anesthesia Provider Confidence In The Identification, Management, And Treatment Of Postoperative Delirium, Brittany M. Whistle, Charles Dustin Phelps

Scholars Week

Purpose: Postoperative Delirium (POD) is a potentially devastating complication of anesthesia that is poorly understood by clinical staff leading to poor outcomes for surgical patients. This study is meant to determine if a focused knowledge presentation accompanied by visual aids could increase anesthesia providers confidence in identifying, diagnosing, and treating Postoperative Delirium.

Methodology: Utilizing a statistical model to analyze respondents results on a standardized test administered before and after an informational presentation with visual aids on the topic of Postoperative Delirium.

Results: Results indicated a statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest scores, with a p-value of .002, t(11) = …

Assessing The Impact Of Interprofessional Simulation Training On Perioperative Staff's Confidence In Managing Maternal Hemorrhage, Mallory Duncan, Lidia Vazquez

Scholars Week

Globally, maternal mortality rates remain a critical public health challenge, often related to inadequate healthcare infrastructure in low-income countries. Yet according to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), maternal mortality rates in the United States are also on the rise, with nearly 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. These deaths are largely contributed to maternal hemorrhage (PPH), defined by ACOG as cumulative blood loss of at least 1,000 mL accompanied by symptoms of hypovolemia within 24 hours of the birth process. These findings underscore an urgent need to strengthen the training for perioperative staff in the management of …

Occupational Sevoflurane Exposure And Awareness Of Health Effects Among Anesthesia Providers, Hayden Fell

Scholars Week

Key words:

Sevoflurane exposure Occupational safety CRNAs Anesthetic gas exposure Workplace hazard

The anesthetic gas sevoflurane is of unique interest amongst anesthesia providers as a potential workplace hazard. This project aimed to evaluate CRNA knowledge, clinical practices, symptoms, and perceptions related to occupational sevoflurane exposure amongst Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) at a regional hospital in Kentucky.

This quality improvement project used a pre- and post-intervention survey design. Ten CRNAs participated in the project. A pre-survey was given, followed by an educational session informing participants of guidelines regarding Sevoflurane exposure and literature findings of Sevoflurane as a potential workplace …

The Standardization Of Protocols For Lines And Drips In Complex Cases, Allee A. Rudolph

Scholars Week

Medication errors occur far too often, yet many can be prevented through simple measures such as intravenous line labeling. Clear, highly visible labels enable quick identification reducing the response time in critical situations. The incorporation of color-coding and icons can only enhance the ability to distinguish between the lines with confidence.

Improved Patient Outcomes With Continuous Video Monitoring, Ethan Morrison, Drake May, Jack L. Rideout

Scholars Week

Improved Patient Outcomes with Continuous Video Monitoring

Objective

The use of human sitters has been the normal policy in hospitals across the United States for years. Recently, there has been an introduction to remote video monitoring systems that are aimed at replacing the need for human sitters. Our goal is to change the policy of a local hospital in our area to adjust their stance on human sitters and implement remote video monitoring.

Methods/Results

Our method of accomplishing this involved a PowerPoint presentation and an evidence-based practice paper with three different scholarly research articles that have been peer-reviewed. We presented …

The Importance Of Deep Vein Thrombosis Prophylaxis In Post-Surgical Patients, Abigail N. Nelson, Madison R. Holmen

Scholars Week

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a preventable postoperative complication that poses significant risks to patient safety. This evidence-based practice project applies the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to implement a mandatory DVT prophylaxis training module for newly hired surgical nurses. The training includes interactive instruction on pharmacologic and mechanical prevention methods, such as anticoagulant use, sequential compression devices, and early ambulation. Effectiveness will be evaluated through post-training assessments, observation of nursing practice, and manager feedback. By standardizing DVT prevention education and promoting consistent use of evidence-based interventions, this project seeks to improve nurse competency, reduce postoperative DVT incidence, and enhance …

Clinical Education Program For Hair Removal To Reduce Surgical Site Infections, Madison Smith, Dana Todd

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Abstract

Surgical site infections (SSIs) significantly impact surgical patients and with one contributory to their development is hair removal method, education about surgical hair removal methods is minimal in continued educational programs. The purpose of this project was to provide an educational program that discussed hair removal methods to reduce surgical site infections. The staff was educated on methods for hair removal in surgical patients, recommendations from manufacturers of the product, hospital policies regarding hair removal and governing organizational guidelines. Over two days for a 10-hour shift each day, a poster board and a 15-30-minute presentation then a pre/post-test was …

Improving Recovery Nurses’ Satisfaction With Postoperative Transfer Of The Anesthetized Patient With The Utilization Of A Standardized Handoff Checklist, Gemma Nilsson

Scholars Week

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of using a standardized tool during patient handoff, addressing the lack of an organized structure for patient transfers and the risk of miscommunication. Poor communication is a leading cause of medical errors in the hospital and the transfer reports of postoperative patients in the post-anesthesia care unit are often inaccurate or incomplete (Milby, 2014; Salzwedel, 2012).

Design: A handoff tool was developed for anesthesia providers to use during postoperative patient transfers. Using descriptive statistics, the project evaluated subjective survey responses from registered nurses before and after the implementation of the tool. Perception of the tool’s …

Fire Safety In The Or, Raghda Abo Al Haija, Leah Cullop, Keeli Mckeel

Scholars Week

Fire safety in the operating room (OR) is crucial, and so it is important for the OR team to be aware of practices that help prevent and manage operating room fires. This presentation compiles evidence-based research on practices and interventions that promote OR fire safety.

Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity (Last): Provider Education, Alexis Johnson

Scholars Week

Abstract

Background: Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity (LAST) is a rare but serious complication due to accumulation of local anesthetics. If not treated quickly, LAST can cause detrimental complications such as seizures and cardiac arrest. Therefore, it is important that anesthesia providers are well versed in preventing, recognizing, and treating this adverse event.

Methods: A LAST flowchart written by The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) was printed and placed in each operating room in a small suburban hospital. Anesthesia staff were also educated on recognizing signs and symptoms, onset time, high risk patients, and prevention.

Results: Ten …

Implementation Of The Banner Mobility Assessment Tool For Bariatric Patients, Nicole Benkert

Scholars Week

Abstract

The prevalence of morbidly obese patient within the United States is on a rapid incline. Evidence correlates an increase in patient falls, comorbidities, and hospital admission among this specific patient group. As a result, there is an increase in workload and injuries to staff as they tend to these patients. Healthcare facilities need to continuously update current patient handling programs and create specific policies for safely handling obese patients. Research suggests that Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Programs, as well as the Banner Mobility Assessment Tool (BMAT), have substantially decreased nurse injuries through a wide range of nursing specialties. …