College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

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.

SLP Collection

yes

Included in

Nursing Commons

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