Date of Award
Summer 8-21-2016
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Pamela Schwartz, CRNA, DNP
Second Advisor
Julie Fezcko
Abstract
Nurse anesthetists provide anesthesia care for patients within a complex and dynamic environment. Errors and adverse events during anesthesia have declined greatly over the decades, yet when errors occur they are devastating. Anesthesia providers must train for adverse events and develop skills to provide excellent care to patients. Situation awareness skills are proven to advance safety in other complex, dynamic professions, whereas situation awareness training and research is newly evolving in anesthesia.
A situation awareness seminar was developed from a review of relevant literature. A mixed methods research design was utilized for this pilot study. Nurse anesthesia trainees (NATs) were recruited and divided into two groups. Group A received the situation awareness seminar and then participated in a high fidelity simulation where their situation awareness skills were scored. Group B participated in a high fidelity simulation where their situation awareness skills were scored and then attended the situation awareness seminar.
Results of the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique survey did not appreciate a statistically significant difference between the groups. However, questions relating to perception were most frequently missed, indicating an area for future situation awareness training. Additionally, post assessment acceptability survey questions scored high means, with narrow standard deviations indicating favorability of the seminar and simulation by NATs. The favorable responses on the Acceptability survey and the correlation of findings with other research on situation awareness in nursing demonstrate that this study design is sustainable and feasible on a larger scale.
Recommended Citation
Pierchala, Caitilin C., "Evaluating Situation Awareness in the Nurse Anesthesia Trainee During High Fidelity Simulation" (2016). College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations. 157.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/csh_etd/157
SLP Collection
yes