Date of Award
Summer 8-20-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Abstract
Pre-procedural ultrasound is an emerging technique among anesthesia providers to increase procedural efficiency and safety of neuraxial procedures on patients with increased technical difficulty. The use of pre-procedural ultrasound in neuraxial anesthesia among certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) has not been previously described. This study examined the efficacy of an educational intervention on CRNAs’ and SRNAs’ knowledge and future intent to use pre-procedural ultrasound to identify lumbar intervertebral spaces. We utilized a pre-and post-test design with convenience sampling. This study demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the participants’ knowledge in four out of seven question pairs. One question pair had the majority of the participants answer correctly on both pre and post- tests thus no statistical improvement was observed. Two question pairs did not show enough statistical improvement between pre-and post-test scores. A McNemar test (p<0.05) was performed on all knowledge-based questions, which indicated that our educational video improved the participants’ knowledge. Seventy-six percent of the participants indicated that they intend to use this technique after viewing the educational video. One of the most prominent barriers to implementation among CRNAs and SRNAs was the lack of knowledge of ultrasound use. Most of the participants did not have formal ultrasound training during their anesthesia education. Many obtained their ultrasound knowledge and skills through other resources. Approximately half of the participants found pre-procedural ultrasound useful in their neuraxial practices. It is recommended that nurse anesthesia programs develop more robust ultrasound training to ensure that nurse anesthesia residents are graduating with this emerging critical skill.
Recommended Citation
Golden, Drew and Kim, Kristine, "Playing Darts Blindfolded: A Quasi-Experimental Study on CRNAs and SRNAs Knowledge on Pre-Procedural Ultrasound for Neuraxial Anesthesia" (2023). College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations. 594.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/csh_etd/594
SLP Collection
yes