Factors Affecting Nurse Anesthetists' Transition from Clinical Practice to Academia: A Scoping Review.

Workforce shortages influence all areas of healthcare including healthcare education. While recruitment and retention are known barriers within academia, the factors associated with the nurse anesthetist's transition from clinician to academics are unknown. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify factors that affect the transition from nurse anesthesia clinical practice to academia.

Exploring the Experience of CRNAs Choosing to Quit Their Jobs: A Qualitative Study.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) choosing to quit their primary place of employment. Interpretative phenomenological analysis is the qualitative framework for this study. Ten CRNAs were interviewed about their experience of quitting their job.

Anesthetic Considerations for Gender-Affirming Airway and Facial Procedures.

Approximately 0.6% of the United States population identifies as transgender or gender nonbinary. The term transgender refers to a person who experiences incongruence between their sex at birth and their gender identity.

Anesthesia for Patients With the Centrifugal-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Content Validity Assessment.

Safely anesthetizing patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) can be intimidating, particularly for novice anesthesia providers. Given the variety of complex issues anesthesia providers may encounter with patients, it would be impractical to expect expertise in every population. To combat the inevitable loss of knowledge, education experts recommend active learning techniques, including test-enhanced learning, active recall, and spaced repetition.

The Global Anesthesia Workforce Survey: Updates and Trends in the Anesthesia Workforce.

Background: There is a large global deficit of anesthesia providers. In 2016, the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) conducted a survey to count the number of anesthesia providers worldwide. Much work has taken place since then to strengthen the anesthesia health workforce.

Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia.

Temperature regulation during the perioperative period plays an essential role in keeping patients safe while optimizing their recovery. The World Health Organization recommends preserving normothermia, identified as a core body temperature greater than 36°C, to minimize morbidity and mortality. The etiology of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) varies in origin.

Short Communication: Stellate Ganglion Blockade for Persistent Olfactory and Gustatory Symptoms Post-COVID-19.

One hundred ninety-five patients presenting with post-COVID symptomology, including parosmia and dysgeusia, underwent reversible stellate ganglion blockade. Stellate ganglion blockade was performed at an outpatient facility, and patients were evaluated via survey at seven days post-injection. Of the 195 participants, ages ranged from 18-69 years of age with the breakdown of sexes being females n = 157 and males n = 38.

Longitudinal Assessment to Evaluate Continued Certification and Lifelong Learning in Healthcare Professionals: A Scoping Review.

The balance of lifelong learning with assessment for continued certification is a challenge faced by healthcare professions. The value of single-point-in-time assessments has been questioned, and a shift to longitudinal assessments (LA) has been undertaken to assess lifelong learning over-time. This scoping review was conducted to inform healthcare certifying organizations who are considering LA as an assessment tool of competence and lifelong learning in healthcare professionals.

Called to Lead: A Qualitative Examination of the Experiences and Contributions of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic strained healthcare providers, particularly certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). To date, little research has focused on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on CRNAs, whose unique skillset conferred on them expanded roles and responsibilities, increasing their stress load. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to utilize qualitative descriptive methodology to examine the experiences of CRNAs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Qualitative Examination of Opioid Sparing Anesthesia Practices Among CRNAs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of CRNAs using opioid sparing techniques in their perioperative anesthesia practice.

Design: This study used a qualitative descriptive methodology.

Methods: Semistructured individual interviews were conducted with Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists who use opioid sparing anesthesia in their clinical practice in the United States.

The Administration of Tranexamic Acid For Complex Spine Surgery.

Currently, there are approximately 1.62 million instrumented spinal surgeries performed each year in the United States. Complex procedures such as wide exposures and composite osteotomies, compounded by the spine's extensive vascular network, often result in major blood loss and increased fibrinolysis.

Overview of Preoperative Risk Analysis: American Society of Anesthesiology Physical Status Classification and the Surgical Risk Calculator.

The certified registered nurse anesthetist has a vital role and critical position to provide safe and effective anesthesia and to speak on behalf of the patient when they cannot speak for themselves. Paramount to this process is analyzing risk factors related to the patient's physical status, the specific surgical procedure, and the method of anesthesia delivery. The American Society of Anesthesiology Physical Status Classification is a foundation in preoperative patient assessment.

Mitigating the spread of COVID-19 during extubation: Assessing the impact of a barrier device.

COVID-19 is a novel virus spread via airborne particles. Given the inherent risk to the anesthesia provider, intubation and airway management guidelines have been recently established. Various studies have been published advocating and detailing the results of different intubation devices designed to decrease the number of airborne particles.

A systematic review examining the pulmonary effects of electronic vapor delivery systems.

Study Objective: Despite the popularity of vaping and electronic vapor delivery systems (EVDS), the healthcare community remains largely unfamiliar with their potential to induce harm. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify how EVDS use affects the pulmonary system in order to support future anesthetic guidelines for patients who vape.

Design: Systematic Review.

Preoperative Cryoneurolysis for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Series.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot project case series is to describe the use of preoperative cryoneurolysis for 10 patients presenting for total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Design: Descriptive research design.

Methods: Billing codes were used to identify 10 patients who had previously undergone TKA, preoperative cryoneurolysis and physical therapy (PT) at a Midwestern community hospital.

Moral Distress Experienced by US Nurses on the Frontlines During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Nursing Policy and Practice.

Introduction: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic represents the largest contemporary challenge to the nursing workforce in the 21 century given the high stress and prolonged strain it has created for both human and healthcare supply resources. Nurses on the frontlines providing patient care during COVID-19 have faced unrivaled psychological and physical demands. However, no known large-scale qualitative study has described the emotions experienced by nurses providing patient care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.

The Effect of Preprocedural Anxiety on General Anesthesia Management: A Case Report.

Preoperative anxiety occurs in many surgical patients and yet there are no clear recommendations on how to provide the best evidence-based care to these patients during a general anesthetic. The following case report describes a complex case of a 35-year-old female who presented for imaging under general anesthesia with high preoperative anxiety. She displayed fluctuations in hemodynamics, an increased induction dose of propofol, and vasopressor support throughout the intraoperative phase of care.

Perspectives of Parents/Legal Guardians of Children With Down Syndrome Requiring Anesthesia: Concerns and Sources of Information.

This descriptive exploratory study sought to gain insight about where caregivers of children with Down syndrome find information regarding anesthesia and the experiences of these caregivers when their child had to receive an anesthetic. We hypothesized that the Internet and social media were major sources of information. We recruited parents/caregivers via Down syndrome organizational websites and social media.

Cultural Competence of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Illinois.

This study examined the level of perceived cultural competence of student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) in Illinois and made educational recommendations. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was completed using the Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) to evaluate the perceived level of cultural competence among SRNAs in Illinois. Four domains of clinical cultural competency--knowledge, skills, attitudes (awareness), and encounters--were evaluated and reported.

Examining effective communication in nursing practice during COVID-19: A large-scale qualitative study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to conduct a primary examination of the qualitative communication experiences of nurses during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Background: Ambiguity in ever-evolving knowledge on how to provide care during COVID-19. Remaining safe has created a sense of urgency, which has in turn created the need for organizations to quickly alter their operational plans and protocols to support measures that increase capacity and establish a culture of safe care and clear communication.

How to Prevent Endotracheal Tube Cuff Overinflation: "5 for 25".

Adverse effects associated with elevated endotracheal (ET) tube cuff pressures above 25 cm H2O include postoperative throat pain and tissue ischemia. Anesthesia practitioners' current methods of cuff pressure estimation are often inaccurate. This quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project evaluated the incidence of ET tube cuff overinflation before and after an educational intervention that recommended the use of a 5-mL over 10-mL syringe for cuff inflation.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Gastric Ultrasonography in Determination of Gastric Contents.

Perioperative pulmonary aspiration (PPA) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. During anesthesia, airway reflexes become depressed, placing patients at risk of PPA. Gastric ultrasonography (GUS) can be used to qualitatively differentiate between solids, liquids, and empty gastric contents.

Comprehensive Reentry Policy for Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists With Substance Use Disorder.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a common problem in anesthesia. Although there are SUD policies in place for practicing anesthetists, there were no known studies before this inquiry discussing reentry policies specific to the student registered nurse anesthetist (SRNA). The purpose of this research was to describe key stakeholders' knowledge and perspectives surrounding policies for reentry into academic programs in Illinois for SRNAs with SUD and to create a comprehensive structured policy template for SRNAs with SUD.

Anesthesia Implications of Patient Use of Electronic Cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes are essentially electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Use of ENDS has increased sharply in the United States in recent years, particularly among youth. We reviewed the literature on ENDS use, based on a PubMed search, with a focus on effects that could influence anesthetic and surgical outcomes.