College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

Summer 8-20-2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

Abstract

Fiberoptic intubation has been used as a secondary option to intubate pediatric patients with difficult airways. Failure to understand how to properly use a fiberoptic scope could have severe consequences, such as increased trauma or mortality. This is a quality improvement research study that examines the effect of simulation training utilizing a pediatric flexible fiberoptic scope on the confidence and competence of Nurse Anesthesia Trainees (NATs). Competence was measured using time to successful intubation. The authors developed a survey tool to assess the confidence of the participants in intubating pediatric patients’ airways with a fiberoptic scope after educational training and simulation. Utilizing R Foundation for Statistical Computing (R Version 4.0.2), data was analyzed and tested for statistical significance (p<0.05) with a paired t-test, a sign test, and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test for both change in time and confidence measures. Post-survey results demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in time to successful intubation and a statistically significant increase in trainees’ confidence in using a fiberoptic scope to intubate a pediatric manikin. This study demonstrates the importance of hands-on simulation of difficult pediatric airway scenarios and the need for standardized pediatric airway management simulations in nurse anesthesia programs.

SLP Collection

yes

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS