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Background The mounting pressure on the Australian healthcare system is driving a continual exploration of areas to improve patient care and access and to maximize utilization of our workforce. We hypothesized that there would be support by anesthetists employed at our hospital for the design, development, and potential implementation of an anesthesia-led nurse practitioner (NP) model for low-risk colonoscopy patients. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, mixed methods study to ascertain the attitudes and acceptability of anesthetists towards a proposed anesthesia-led NP model for low-risk colonoscopy patients. An online survey using commercial software and theoretical questions pertaining to participants’ attitudes towards an anesthesia-led NP model was e-mailed to consultant anesthetists. Participants were also invited to participate in a voluntary 20-min face-to-face interview. Results A total of 60 survey responses were received from a pool of 100 anesthetists (response rate = 60%, accounting for 8.04% margin of error). Despite the theoretical benefits of improved patient access to colonoscopy services, most anesthetists were not willing to participate in the supervision and training of NPs. The predominant themes underlying their lack of support for the program were a perception that patient safety would be compromised compared to the current model of anesthesia-led care, the model does not meet the Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists guidelines for procedural sedation and analgesia, and the program may be a public liability prone to litigation in the event of an adverse outcome. Concerns about consumer acceptance and cost-effectiveness were also raised. Finally, participants thought the model should be pilot tested to better understand consumer attitudes, logistical feasibility, patient and proceduralist attitudes, clinical governance, and, importantly, patient safety. Conclusions Most anesthetists working in a single-center university hospital did not support an anesthesia-led NP model for low-risk colonoscopy patients. Patient safety, violations of the current Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists guidelines on procedural sedation, and logistical feasibility were significant barriers to the acceptance of the model. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, 12619001036101

Purpose Rural-urban disparities in the surgical and anesthesia workforce exist. This mixed-methods study describes the distribution of the surgical and anesthesia workforce and qualitatively explores how such workforce and other factors influence rural hospitals' provision of surgical services. Methods We calculated provider counts by county from the Area Health Resource File. Using American Hospital Association survey data, we sampled rural hospitals, stratified by critical access status and state policies. We conducted qualitative semistructured interviews with administrators at 16 hospitals and performed directed content analysis of factors influencing surgical services provision at rural hospitals. Findings Within rural counties, 55.1% of counties had no surgeon, 81.2% had no anesthesiologist, and 58.1% had no Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Administrators reported that rural hospitals struggled to provide many surgical services given lack of subspecialty surgeons and adequate postsurgical care. Rural hospitals likely struggle to generate volumes necessary to support safe and profitable subspecialty surgery programs. Anesthesia services were not reported as a current limitation given that CRNAs in particular had strong, diverse skills sets and many hospitals allowed high CRNA autonomy. However, meeting anesthesia needs for emergency surgeries and 24-hour obstetrics posed significant challenges. Conclusions While rural hospitals reported meeting community needs for elective and noncomplex surgeries, rural hospitals continued to face significant challenges providing subspecialty surgeries, emergency surgeries, and 24-hour obstetrical services.

Background: The US Department of Health and Human Services has recommended that physicians performing interventional pain procedures be credentialed based on criteria‑based guidelines and minimum training requirements. Objectives: To quantitatively assess gaps in certification related to pain medicine fellowship requirements, we studied the distribution of such procedures in Florida between 2010 and 2016. Study Design: This research involved a retrospective analysis with a sample size of n = 1,885,442 interventional pain procedures. Setting: Data describing interventional pain procedures performed in Florida between January 2010 and December 2016 were obtained from the Florida Department of Health. The National Provider Identifier file and board certification lists from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM), and the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) corresponding to this time frame were also obtained. Methods: The datasets were linked to determine the specialty of physicians performing interventional pain procedures, and whether or not they were pain medicine diplomates of the ABMS, the ABPM, or the ABIPP. The similarity index Θ was calculated for the distribution of interventional pain procedure codes among medical specialty groups, and with respect to the practitioners’ pain medicine board certification status. Results: Of the interventional pain procedures, anesthesiologists performed 63.5%, physiatrists 19.1%, neurologists or psychiatrists 5.2%, and other practitioners 12.3%. Among procedures performed by anesthesiologists, physiatrists, and psychiatrists or neurologists, 66.2%, 50.3%, and 50.4% were by ABMS pain board-certified practitioners, respectively. Practitioners without ABMS pain medicine boards performed 45.8% of interventional pain procedures. Practitioners without such boards from either the ABMS, ABPM, or ABIPP performed 37.7%. There was very large similarity (Θ > 0.9) in the distribution of procedures comparing ABMS pain medicine boardcertified practitioners to non-ABMS pain medicine board-certified anesthesiologists, physiatrists, or all other specialties. Limitations: In countries other than the United States, where pain medicine board certification is relatively recent, there may be a higher percentage of interventional pain procedures performed by individuals without certification than we report. In “opt-out” states, where nurse anesthetists can independently perform interventional pain procedures, the percentage of interventional pain procedures performed by individuals without physician pain medicine board certification may also be higher. The datasets we used do not contain information to allow assessment of outcomes or effectiveness resulting from pain medicine board certification. Conclusions: Approximately one-third of interventional pain procedures were performed by physicians without at least 1 of the 3 pain medicine board certifications. In addition, the practitioners performed very similar distributions of procedures (i.e., those without pain medicine board certification, overall, have not restricted their practice). These results suggest the need for additional accredited pain medicine fellowship training positions for newly graduated residents. The results also show that, for the recommendations of the Department of Health and Human Services to be satisfied, physicians without board certification performing intervention procedures would need to obtain ABPM or ABIPP certification, or ABMS certification after completion of a full-time Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education pain medicine fellowship. Key words: Chronic pain, education, medical, graduate, specialty boards

Bakgrund: Syrgas används liberalt hos vuxna endotrakealt intuberade patienter peroperativt för att ge en skyddande marginal mot livshotande hypoxi. Ett överskott av syrgas kan dock öka risken för allvarliga biverkningar med en potentiellt negativ påverkan på både morbiditet och mortalitet. Vilken mängd syrgas som skall användas peroperativt är en omdiskuterad fråga i forskningsvärlden där RCT och metaanalys-studier kommer med motstridiga uppgifter om vad som faktiskt är det optimala oxygenmålet peroperativt. Motiv: Det finns meningsskiljaktigheter kring peroperativ oxygenering där nuvarande forskning om vad som är det optimala för patienten skiljer sig från studie till studie. Författarna av denna studie anser att det behövs en djupare förståelse av den ansvariga anestesisjuksköterskans erfarenheter och tankar kring peroperativ oxygenering, framförallt då det saknas evidens att luta sig mot. Syfte: Att beskriva anestesisjuksköterskors tankar och erfarenheter av peroperativ oxygenering hos vuxna endotrakealt intuberade patienter. Metod: Individuella semi-strukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med anestesisjuksköterskor (n=10) på två olika sjukhus i mellansverige. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys användes för att bearbeta och analysera datan. Resultat: Analysen genererade tre huvudkategorier; En snäv balansgång - Att undvika hypoxi och hyperoxi, Upprätthållande av en patientsäker ventilation är ett mål och Vad är den optimala FiO2-nivån? En vilja om att arbeta evidensbaserat. Konklusion: Det är en pågående debatt internationell om vad den optimala målnivån av peroperativ FiO2 är. Med anledning av det oklara evidensläget visade det sig att anestesisjuksköterskorna arbetar efter beprövad erfarenhet när peroperativ FiO2 ställs in till patienten. De målnivåer av FiO2 som anestesisjuksköterskorna använder innehåller en säkerhetsmarginal för hypoxi och hänsyn tas till patientens sjuklighet. Rutinmässig hyperoxi förekommer inte och höga nivåer FiO2 likställs med ökad risk för komplikationer. Vidare forskning inom ämnet behövs som stöttning för patientansvarig anestesisjuksköterska i dess dagliga arbete. Background: Oxygen is used liberally in adult endotracheal intubated patients intraoperative to provide a protective margin against life-threatening hypoxia. A surplus of oxygen can however increase the risk of serious side effects with a potentially increased long-term mortality. The use of oxygen intraoperative is a highly debated question in the scientific community, where RCT and metaanalysis studies are producing contradictory results about what the optimal oxygenation target intraoperative really is. Motive: There is a disagreement about intraoperative oxygenation where the current evidence about what the optimal target for the patient really is; this varies from study to study. The authors of this study thereby consider that there is a need for a deeper understanding of the responsible nurse anesthetist’s experiences and thoughts on intraoperative oxygenation; above all when there is no definitive evidence to lean on. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe nurse anesthetists’ thoughts and experiences of intraoperative oxygenation at adult patients who are endotracheal intubated. Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurse anesthetists (n=10) at two different hospitals in the middle of Sweden. Qualitative content analysis was used to process the data. Result: The analysis generated three main categories; A narrow balancing act – To avoid hypoxia and hyperoxia, Maintaining patient-safe ventilation is a goal and What is the optimal level of FiO2? A desire to work evidence-based. Conclusion: There is an ongoing debate internationally about what the optimal target level of intraoperative FiO2 is. Due to the unclear state of evidence, it turned out that the nurse anesthetists work after proven experience when intraoperative FiO2 is set for the patient. The target levels of FiO2 used by the nurse anesthetists contain a margin of safety for hypoxia and the patient's morbidity is taken into account. Routine hyperoxia does not occur and high levels of FiO2 are equated with an increased risk of complications. Further research is needed in the subject to support the nurse anesthetists responsible for the patient in their daily work.

Bakgrund: Obesa utgör 10% av befolkningen i Sverige. De riskerar på grund av sin anatomi attdrabbas av lungkomplikationer efter generell anestesi. De har rätt till säker,evidensbaserad och individanpassad omvårdnad utifrån sina behov för att förebyggariskerna för onödigt lidande och samhällskostnad. Det är anestesisjuksköterskansansvar att leverera anestesiologisk omvårdnad av sådan kvalitet, och medkompetensutveckling utifrån evidens och ett patientsäkert förhållningssätt är detlångt ifrån omöjligt. Syfte: Kartlägga effekter av intraoperativa ventilationsmetoder och åtgärder somanestesisjuksköterskor kan tillämpa för förbättrad ventilation hos obesa patientersom genomgår generell anestesi. Metod: Systematisk litteraturstudie, 13 randomiserade kontrollerade studier som presenteratsgenom en narrativ syntes. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i tre kategorier av ventilationsmetoder eller åtgärder som kanförbättra obesa patienters ventilation. Ventilatorinställningar, Alveolär rekryteringoch Applikation av positivt tryck vid spontanandning. Slutsatser: Högt/individanpassat PEEP i kombination med lungrekrytering kan förbättra denintraoperativa ventilationen. Både VCV och PCV kan tillämpas för effektivventilation av obesa patienter, PCV, icke-invasiv ventilation med positivt tryck, ochinverterad respirationsratio kan ge bättre intraoperativ syresättning. Ingen kopplingmellan i resultatet förekommande ventilationsmetoder och minskade postoperativakomplikationer kunde påvisas. Bakgrund: Överviktiga utgör 10% av sveriges befolkning. Av anatomiska skäl riskerar de att drabbas av lungkomplikationer efter generell anestesi. De har rätt till säker, evidensbaserad och individualiserad vård som härrör från deras behov för att förehålla risken för onödigt lidande och börda för den nationella ekonomin. Det är narkosläkarens ansvar att leverera anestesiologisk vård av sådan kvalitet, och med kompetensutveckling som härrör från såväl bevis som en patientsäkerhetsapproach är det långt ifrån omöjligt. Sikta: Att kartlägga effekterna av intraoperativa ventilationsmetoder och åtgärder som dåurs narkosläkare kan ansöka om förbättrad ventilation av överviktiga patienter som utsätts förgenetisk anestesi. Metod: En systematisk litteratur översyn, 13 randomiserade kontrollerade prövningar analyserades och presenterades i en berättande syntes. Resultat: Analysen gav tre kategorier av ventilationsmetoder och åtgärder som kan bidra till ett positivt resultat när det gäller den överviktiga patientens ventilation. Ventilatorsettings, alveolar rekrytering och tillämpning av positivt tryck underspontanig andning. Slutsatser: Hög/individualiserad PEEP i kombination med rekryteringsmanövrering kan förbättra intraoperativ ventilation. Både VCV och PCV kan tillämpas för effektivventilation av överviktiga patienter, PCV, icke-invasiv positivt tryck ventilation och inverterade andning förhållandet kan resultera i högre intraoperativa syrenivåer. Ingen anslutning hittades mellan ventilationsmetoderna som inträffade i resultatetoch minskning av postoperativa pulmonell komplikationer.

Robotassisterad kirurgi har blivit alltmer förekommande som operationsmetod till fördel för dess kirurgiska precision. Utifrån den kirurgiska teknologin ställs ytterligare krav på anestesisjuksköterskan, som under operationerna ansvarar för patientens anestesi, upprätthållande av fri luftväg, hemodynamisk stabilitet. Tillsammans med teamet ansvarar anestesisjuksköterskan för patientens positionering och säkerhet. Syftet med studien var att belysa anestesisjuksköterskors vårdande av patienter som genomgick robotassisterad kirurgi. En kvalitativ ansats ligger till grund för studien och en ostrukturerad deltagande observationsstudie har genomförts. Sex anestesisjuksköterskor observerades vid tolv olika tillfällen. Materialet från observationer analyserades med Elo och Kyngäs induktiva kvalitativa innehållsanalys. Nio subkategorier och tre kategorier framkom efter analysen. I kategorin arbetsmiljön på operationssalen framkom bland annat att anestesisjuksköterskan arbetade i en miljö med begränsad åtkomst till patienten och utrustningen. I kategorin omtanke och vårdande observerades anestesisjuksköterskans lugnande samtal och stöttning till patienten samt handlingar för patientens välbefinnande. I tredje kategorin patientsäkert arbetssätt arbetade anestesisjuksköterskan tillsammans i teamet med förebyggande säkerhetsåtgärder. Slutligen arbetar anestesisjuksköterskan i en högteknologisk miljö, som kräver anpassning utifrån anestesiologiskt perspektiv. Trots den emellanåt besvärliga arbetssituationen som anestesisjuksköterskan befinner sig upprätthålls både patientsäkerhet samt ett gott teamarbete. Robot-assisted surgery has become increasingly prevalent, in favor of it´s surgical precision. The surgical technology additional requirements are imposed on the nurse anesthetist, who is responsible for the patient´s anesthesia, free airway and hemodynamic stability. Together with the team, the nurse anesthetist is responsible for the patient's positioning and safety. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the nurse anesthetists' care of patients who underwent robot-assisted surgery. A qualitative approach was used and an unstructured participatory observational study has been conducted. Six nurse anesthetists were observed on twelve occasions. The material was analyzed with Elo and Kyngäs inductive qualitative content analysis. Nine subcategories and three categories emerged. The category Work environment in the operating room showed that the nurse anesthetist worked in an environment with limited access to the patient. The Solicitude and caring category, showed the nurse anesthetist gave support to the patient and made actions for well-being. In the category Patient-safe working methods, the nurse anesthetist worked with the team on preventive safety measures. Finally, the nurse anesthetist works in a high-tech environment which requires adaptation. Despite the sometimes difficult work situation for the nurse anesthetist, both patient safety and good teamwork are maintained.

Bakgrund: Att vårda barn perioperativt ställer höga krav på personalens kompetens. Barn skall inom vården inte betraktas som små vuxna. Anestesisjuksköterskan behöver ha särskilda kunskaper om andning, cirkulation och farmakokinetik vid olika åldrar. Syfte: Undersöka vilka faktorer anestesisjuksköterskan betraktar som mest utmanande inför generell anestesi på mindre barn på en allmän operationsavdelning, samt undersöka sambandet mellan de betraktade utmaningarna och bakgrundsfaktorer. Metod: Kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie med enkäter som distribuerades till anestesisjuksköterskor. Deskriptiv och statistisk analys har genomförts. Resultat: 97% av respondenterna känner någon grad av oro i samband med generell anestesi på barn. De faktorer som upplevs som mest utmanande är laryngospasm och hypoxi. Kvinnor upplever oro i högre utsträckning än män, yngre upplever mer oro än äldre och de med kortare arbetserfarenhet upplever oro i större utsträckning än dem med längre arbetserfarenhet. Konklusion: Laryngospasm och hypoxi är allvarliga tillstånd som kan förekomma vid generell anestesi på barn. Den unga och/eller oerfarne ser detta som mer utmanande än den äldre och/eller erfarne. Det är av betydelse att den erfarne medarbetaren sprider sin kunskap genom teamarbete för att den oerfarne kollegan ska kunna ge en god och säker vård Background: Caring for children perioperatively places high demands on the staff's competence. Children should not be regarded as small adults. The nurse anesthetist needs special knowledge of breathing, circulation and pharmacokinetics at different ages. The aim: Investigate which factors the nurse anesthetist considers most challenging before general anesthesia in smaller children in a general operating department and investigate the connection between the consider challenger and background factors. Method: Quantitative cross-sectional study with questionnaires that was distributed to nurse anesthetists. Descriptive and statistical analysis has been carried out. Results: 97% of the respondents feel some degree of anxiety in connection with general anesthesia in children. The factors perceived as most challenging are laryngospasm and hypoxia. Women experience anxiety to a greater extent than men, younger experience more anxiety than elder and those with shorter work experience feel anxiety to a greater extent than those with longer experience. Conclusion: Laryngospasm and hypoxia are serious conditions that can occur during general anesthesia in children. The young and/ or inexperienced see this as more challenging than the older and/ or experienced. It is important that the experienced employee spreads their knowledge through teamwork so that the inexperienced colleague can provide good and safe care.

Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) presents unique teamwork challenges for perioperative team members, including anesthesia professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore anesthesiologists' and nurse anesthetists' teamwork experiences during RAS using an exploratory qualitative study design involving individual semistructured interviews. Study participants expressed that teamwork during RAS is both positive and challenging, and the start-up phase is the most demanding phase of RAS in terms of teamwork. Anesthesia professionals believe that both technical and nontechnical skills are necessary to provide excellent patient care and maintain patient safety during RAS. Furthermore, they believe that a more concentrated focus on nontechnical skills than is traditional is an essential component of teamwork.

Unresolved work stress contributes to burnout, compassion fatigue, disengagement, and other work-contextualized factors. The impact of occupational stressors extends to the organization in a negative fashion as well. In 2017, advanced practice providers (APPs) from four health systems, including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and physician assistants, participated in a quantitative online cross-sectional survey; 754 participants responded to a free-text question related to work stress and work–family balance. Suggested organizational strategies were ordered into 29 codes, 10 subthemes, and four main themes: “reduce job stressors,” “improve leadership and operations,” “promote APP well-being,” and “maintain the status quo.” Findings are consistent with other research related to occupational stress with many of the reported strategies considered as evidence-based. Targeted interventions for reducing job stress will need to include improved autonomy for APPs, role delineation, support for work–family balance, and better communication as part of management practices.

Objective To estimate the impact of opting-out from Medicare supervision requirements for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) on anesthesiologists' work patterns. Data sources/study setting Secondary data from two national surveys of anesthesiologists and the Area Health Resource File. Study design We use a matching difference-in-difference regression which contrasts the change in work patterns for anesthesiologists in California, which dropped supervision requirements, to the change for similar anesthesiologists. Key outcome variables include the number of weekly hours worked, the type of work done, and type of care delivery teams. Data collection/extraction methods Self-reported national survey data drawn from members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Principal findings Anesthesiologists in California saw no change in time spent working or time spent supervising CRNAs. There was a decrease in direct care clinical work hours along with a shift in working more in intraoperative care, a decrease in postoperative care, and an increase in the percentage of cases supervising residents. Conclusions Anesthesiologists had small but real responses to California's decisions to opt-out of the physician supervision requirement for CRNAs, doing more work in intraoperative care and less outside of the operating room. Total hours worked saw no change.

Objectives Medication use in the perioperative setting presents many patient safety challenges that may be improved with electronic clinical decision support (CDS). The objective of this paper is to describe the development and analysis of user feedback for a robust, real-time medication-related CDS application designed to provide patient-specific dosing information and alerts to warn of medication errors in the operating room (OR). Methods We designed a novel perioperative medication-related CDS application in four phases: (1) identification of need, (2) alert algorithm development, (3) system design, and (4) user interface design. We conducted group and individual design feedback sessions with front-line clinician leaders and subject matter experts to gather feedback about user requirements for alert content and system usability. Participants were clinicians who provide anesthesia (attending anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and house staff), OR pharmacists, and nurses. Results We performed two group and eight individual design feedback sessions, with a total of 35 participants. We identified 20 feedback themes, corresponding to 19 system changes. Key requirements for user acceptance were: Use hard stops only when necessary; provide as much information as feasible about the rationale behind alerts and patient/clinical context; and allow users to edit fields such as units, time, and baseline values (e.g., baseline blood pressure). Conclusion We incorporated user-centered design principles to build a perioperative medication-related CDS application that uses real-time patient data to provide patient-specific dosing information and alerts. Emphasis on early user involvement to elicit user requirements, workflow considerations, and preferences during application development can result in time and money efficiencies and a safer and more usable system.

BACKGROUND This concept analysis presents a scholarly epistemological approach to defining the attributes, empirical referents, antecedents, and consequences of a knowledge maintenance approach-known as longitudinal assessment-to professional certification. AIM The analysis reports on the efforts of the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists to explore this educational method as an approach to meet requirements for continued professional certification. METHOD Using the classical approach to concept analysis, the authors explore the structure and function of longitudinal assessment and define the characteristics of the concept in a way that is meaningful to the continued certification of nursing and medical professionals. CONCLUSION This analysis establishes a link between the goal and outcome of the continued certification process, including continuing education in nursing and medical practice, and the desirable characteristics of longitudinal assessment, which include proven principles of educational psychology. Through exploring model and borderline cases, the authors seek to demonstrate that longitudinal assessment is the best approach to foster lifelong learning of continuously evolving scientific, theoretical, and clinical knowledge in support of safe care for patients.

One systematic review, 4 primary studies (observational studies: 3 retrospective and 1 prospective), and 1 economic evaluation were identified. A definitive conclusion is not possible regarding the clinical effectiveness of anesthesia provided by non-physician anesthetists compared with physician anesthetists, considering the evidence was from studies of low quality that were associated with considerable risk of bias, and there were inconsistencies in the findings. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for physician anesthesiologists compared with nurse anesthetists was US$77,400 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. The 1-way sensitivity analyses showed that with an increase in the cost of nurse anesthetist professional services or an increase in the number of unexpected hospital days, the ICER values would fall below US$50,000 per QALY gained.

Introduction:Prehospital pediatric tracheal intubation (TI) is a possible life-saving intervention that requires adequate experience to mitigate associated complications. The pediatric airway and respiratory physiology present challenges in addition to a relatively rare incidence of prehospital pediatric TI.Study Objective:The aim of this study was to describe characteristics and outcomes of prehospital TI in pediatric patients treated by critical care teams.Methods:This is a sub-group analysis of all pediatric (Results:In the study, 74 children were tracheal intubated, which corresponds to 3.7% (74/2,027) of the total number of patients. The pediatric patients were intubated by very experienced providers, of which 80% had performed ≥2,500 TIs. The overall TI success rate, first pass success rate, and airway complication rate were in all children (Conclusion:This study observed a high overall prehospital TI success rate in children with relatively few associated complications and short time on scene, despite the challenges presented by the pediatric prehospital TI.

Author(s): Hawkins, Andrew; Stapleton, Stephanie; Rodriguez, Gerardo; Gonzalez, R. Mauricio; Baker, William E. | Abstract: Introduction: The objective of this study was to compare airway management technique, performance, and peri-intubation complications during the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) using a single-center cohort of patients requiring emergent intubation.Methods: We retrospectively collected data on non-operating room (OR) intubations from February 1–April 23, 2020. All patients undergoing emergency intubation outside the OR were eligible for inclusion. Data were entered using an airway procedure note integrated within the electronic health record. Variables included level of training and specialty of the laryngoscopist, the patient’s indication for intubation, methods of intubation, induction and paralytic agents, grade of view, use of video laryngoscopy, number of attempts, and adverse events. We performed a descriptive analysis comparing intubations with an available positive COVID-19 test result with cases that had either a negative or unavailable test result.Results: We obtained 406 independent procedure notes filed between February 1–April 23, 2020, and of these, 123 cases had a positive COVID-19 test result. Residents performed fewer tracheal intubations in COVID-19 cases when compared to nurse anesthetists (26.0% vs 37.4%). Video laryngoscopy was used significantly more in COVID-19 cases (91.1% vs 56.8%). No difference in first-pass success was observed between COVID-19 positive cases and controls (89.4% vs. 89.0%, p = 1.0). An increased rate of oxygen desaturation was observed in COVID-19 cases (20.3% vs. 9.9%) while there was no difference in the rate of other recorded complications and first-pass success.Discussion: An average twofold increase in the rate of tracheal intubation was observed after March 24, 2020, corresponding with an influx of COVID-19 positive cases. We observed adherence to society guidelines regarding performance of tracheal intubation by an expert laryngoscopist and the use of video laryngoscopy.

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) workforce is aging. It is estimated that nearly half (49.7%) of the CRNA workforce is age 50 or greater, with those practicing in management positions and as educators having the oldest mean ages. Older CRNAs face workplace challenges that can lead to decreased productivity and overall job satisfaction. Common injuries to older practitioners result from repetitive motion, slips and falls, needle sticks, fatigue, and emotional or mental health related illness. Because of the high acuity environment in which CRNAs practice they are at an elevated risk for these injuries. Creating a healthy and supportive work environment has been shown to improve the retention of aging healthcare workers, and succession planning is essential in preparing for their retirement.

Background Only 20% of the surgical burden in eastern sub-Saharan Africa is currently met, leaving >17 million surgical cases annually in need of safe surgery and anesthesia. Similarly, there is an extreme shortage of anesthesia providers in East Africa, with just 0.44 anesthesiologists per 100,000 people in Kenya compared to 20.82 per 100,000 in the United States. Additionally, surgical access is not equally distributed within countries, with rural settings often having the greatest unmet need. We developed and tested a set of tools to assess if graduates of the Kenya registered nurse anesthetist (KRNA) training program, who were placed in rural hospitals in Kenya, would have any impact on surgical numbers, referral patterns, and economics of these hospitals. Methods Cross-sectional data were collected from facility assessments in 9 referral hospitals to evaluate the possible impact of the KRNAs on anesthesia care. The hospitals were grouped based on both the number of beds and the assigned national hospital level. At each level, a hospital that had KRNA graduates (intervention) was matched with comparison hospitals in the same category with no KRNA graduates (control). The facility assessment survey included questions capturing data on personnel, infrastructure, supplies, medications, procedures, and outcomes. At the intervention sites, the medical directors of the hospitals and the KRNAs were interviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to present the findings. Results Intervention sites had a density of anesthesia providers that was 43% higher compared to the control sites. Intervention sites performed at least twice as many surgical cases compared to the control sites. Most KRNAs stated that the anesthesia training program had given them sufficient training and leadership skills to perform safe anesthesia in their clinical practice setting. Medical directors at the intervention sites reported increased surgical volumes and fewer referrals to larger hospitals due to the anesthesia gaps that had been addressed. Conclusions Our findings from this study suggest that KRNAs may be associated with an increased volume of surgical cases completed in these rural Kenyan hospitals and may therefore be filling a known anesthetic void. The presence of skilled anesthesia providers is a first step toward providing safe surgery and anesthesia care for all; however, significant gaps still remain. Future analysis will focus on surgical outcomes, the appropriate anesthesia delivery model for a rural population, and how the availability of anesthesia infrastructure impacts referral patterns and safe surgery capacity.

Objective The National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) conducted a study to determine whether use of resources and method of test administration for the Continued Professional Certification Assessment (CPCA) impacts performance, testing experience, and fidelity of the examination. Methods A total of 1,500 certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) were randomized into one of six groups based on method of proctoring (in person or live online remote) and use of resources (closed book, open book with NBCRNA-provided resources [e-books], or open book with use of a choice of two of nine approved hard copy resources). Participants completed a baseline survey, the CPCA, and a post-CPCA survey. Results A total of 1,217 participants were included in the analyses. Scores on the CPCA were 5 points higher in the resources groups than in the closed-book groups (p = .0005), but examination times were twice as long (p = .0005). Performance standard rates were similar (p = .26). In the resources groups, 84.2% of participants used resources to confirm an answer. In the e-books groups, approximately 40% of participants' comments indicated problems with the e-books. Participants in remote proctoring groups had a moderate number of problems with remote proctoring; thus, scores were lower than expected. However, 55% to 73% of participants indicated remote proctoring would reduce their anxiety on future examinations. Half of all participants strongly agreed or agreed that the CPCA accurately reflected core knowledge all CRNAs should know. Conclusion It is recommended that the CPCA be delivered as a closed-book examination with choice of in-person or remote proctoring that does not require live online proctors.

Purpose To explore the experience of preoperative communication of nurse anesthetists (NAs) in brief meetings with patients in an orthopaedic setting. Design Qualitative research. Methods Three group interviews based on experiences of 18 NAs were conducted. Content data analysis was used. Findings The brief communication was characterized by both difficulties and opportunities. Protecting the patient's integrity, informing worried patients, lack of routines, language difficulties, being present at the meeting, protecting the patient from disturbance, and encouraging the patient to participate were stated as the main challenges in the brief meeting with patients. The NAs also gave some suggestions for improvement. Conclusions The Preoperative meetings need to be developed and structured to improve communication. A way to assess the results of this conversation should be developed. Other recommendations include finding a way to improve patient involvement in this dialogue and development of skills of NAs to enhance the meeting for patients.

Patient and procedure verification, or the time-out process (TOP), is considered one of the most vital components of patient safety. It has long been a focus of intervention in the surgical community and recently was incorporated into the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines for safety in the GI endoscopy unit. The TOP has had limited attention in the endoscopy literature but remains an area for improvement in clinical endoscopy practice. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and improve TOP compliance rates in our endoscopy unit using remote video auditing (RVA).This was a single-center, prospective, pilot initiative in an endoscopy unit at a tertiary care academic medical center. Video cameras with offsite monitoring were installed in each procedure room in our endoscopy suite in November 2016. Baseline TOP compliance rates were audited with RVA over a 2-month period. A multidisciplinary quality improvement team reviewed the data, identified barriers to the TOP, and implemented actionable items in January 2017. TOP compliance rates were again monitored via RVA, and data were collected through October 2018. Pre- and postintervention TOP compliance rates were compared.Over the baseline period, 692 procedures were audited and TOP compliance documented. Baseline TOP compliance rate was 69.6%. Identifiable barriers to TOP compliance included a lack of designated team member to lead TOP, inconsistent documentation of TOP, irrelevant safety checklist items not applicable to endoscopic procedures, and lack of patient safety culture. Actionable items implemented in response to these barriers included designation of a TOP leader, visual indication of initiation of TOP, creation of a concise endoscopy-specific safety checklist, and formal notification/education of the entire endoscopy team. Postintervention TOP compliance rates were then audited from January 2017 to October 2018 and included 12,008 procedures. The mean TOP compliance rate significantly improved from baseline (95.3% vs 69.6%; 95% confidence interval, 22.4-29.3; P .0001). Additionally, the improvement was maintained throughout the entire postintervention observation period.TOP compliance rates significantly improved in our endoscopy unit through the use of RVA and implementation of 4 actionable items. Future studies should evaluate the reproducibility of this method in other endoscopy units.

STUDY QUESTIONAre phospholipase C zeta 1 (PLCZ1) mutations associated with fertilization failure (FF) after ICSI?SUMMARY ANSWERNew mutations in the PLCZ1 sequence are associated with FFs after ICSI.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYFF occurs in 1–3% of ICSI cycles, mainly due to oocyte activation failure (OAF). The sperm PLCζ/PLCZ1 protein hydrolyzes phosphatidylinositol (4, 5)-bisphosphate in the oocyte, leading to intracellular calcium release and oocyte activation. To date, few PLCZ1 point mutations causing decreased protein levels or activity have been linked to FF. However, functional alterations of PLCζ/PLCZ1 in response to both described and novel mutations have not been investigated.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONWe performed a study including 37 patients presenting total or partial FF (fertilization rate (FR), ≤25%) after ICSI occurring between 2014 and 2018.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSPatients were divided into two groups based on oocyte evaluation 19 h post ICSI: FF due to a defect in oocyte activation (OAF, n = 22) and FF due to other causes (‘no-OAF’, n = 15). Samples from 13 men with good fertilization (FR, >50%) were used as controls. PLCζ/PLCZ1 protein localization and levels in sperm were evaluated by immunofluorescence and western blot, respectively. Sanger sequencing on genomic DNA was used to identify PLCZ1 mutations in exonic regions. The effect of the mutations on protein functionality was predicted in silico using the MODICT algorithm. Functional assays were performed by cRNA injection of wild-type and mutated forms of PLCZ1 into human in vitro matured metaphase II oocytes, and fertilization outcomes (second polar body extrusion, pronucleus appearance) scored 19 h after injection.MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEIn the OAF group, 12 (54.6%) patients carried at least one mutation in the PLCZ1 coding sequence, one patient out of 15 (6.7%) in the no-OAF group (P 60%) in patients carrying PLCZ1 mutations (n = 10) after assisted oocyte activation (AOA), with seven patients achieving pregnancy and live birth.LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONCaution should be exerted when comparing the cRNA injection results with fertilization outcomes after ICSI, especially in patients presenting mutations in heterozygosis.WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGSPLCZ1 mutations were found in high frequency in patients presenting OAF. Functional analysis of three mutations in human oocytes confirms alteration of PLCζ/PLCZ1 activity and their likely involvement in impaired oocyte activation. Our results suggest that PLCZ1 gene sequencing could be useful as a tool for the diagnosis and counseling of couples presenting FF after ICSI due to OAF.STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)This work was supported by intramural funding of Clínica EUGIN, by the Secretary for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia (GENCAT 2015 DI 049 to M. T.-M. and GENCAT 2015 DI 048 to D. C.-B.) and by the Torres Quevedo Program from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness to A. F.-V. No competing interest declared.

Background Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who fail to comply with the Continued Professional Certification Program, or those out of practice for an extended time, must recertify with the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists through the Reentry Program (REP). In 2016, high-fidelity simulation was added to the REP to evaluate clinical competence. Purpose The aim of this project was to create and validate a simulation scenario and competency checklist as an objective measure for use with the REP. Methods Using the modified Delphi method, an expert panel of CRNAs evaluated the validity of the simulation scenario and the content validity and reliability of the checklist. Results All 29 survey questions that assessed simulation scenario validity received ≥ 75% agreement from the expert panel, while the overall content validity index for the checklist was 0.958 and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.995. Conclusion The expert panel validated the simulation scenario and competency checklist, which was determined to have excellent content validity and interrater reliability. Standardization and objectivity of the REP for CRNAs are improved with the validated simulation scenario and competency checklist.

Background: The latest Neonatal Resuscitation Program ® (NRP) guidelines suggest the use of team-based training using simulation. Furthermore, psychometric testing of instruments appropriate to measure team performance in NRP is needed. This study evaluated the effects of simulation on the training and performance of the health care team attending deliveries at a rural community hospital. Method: Twenty-three nurses and nurse anesthetists comprised the sample. A pre- and postintervention repeated measures design was used. Data were collected using the Background/Experience Survey, Self-Assessment and Attitudes Survey, and two Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality TeamSTEPPS tools (the Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire [T-TPQ] and the TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire [T-TAQ]), the Simulation Effectiveness Tool–Modified (SET-M), and the Individual and Team Performance Survey. Results: Data analysis revealed significant findings in team functioning, situation monitoring, and communication. Prebriefing and debriefing were valuable as measured by the SET-M. Conclusion: This project supports the use of simulation to enhance team-based training, performance, and communication. [ J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(7):319–324.]

Twitter has become a powerful tool for dissemination of information. The objective of this study was to evaluate Twitter usage of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). All tweets from ASA ("@ASALifeline") and AANA ("@aanawebupdates") were collected over a 1-year time period. The content of each tweet was categorized using a rubric. ASA generated more original tweets than AANA. Twitter use was highest in October for ASA and September for AANA. Both societies are actively using Twitter. Future work should evaluate the impact of societal Twitter use.

The first aim of this study was to test whether a 7 item evaluation scale developed by our department's certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) was psychometrically reliable. The second aim was to test whether anesthesiologists' performance changed with their years of postgraduate experience.Sixty-two University of Iowa CRNAs evaluated 81 anesthesiologists during one weekend. Anesthesiologists' scores were adjusted for CRNA rater leniency. Anesthesiologists' scores were tested for sensitivity to CRNA-anesthesiologist case-specific variables. Scores also were tested against anesthesiologists' years of postgraduate experience. The latter association was tested for sensitivity to case-specific variables, anesthesiologists' clinical supervision scores provided by residents, and anesthesiologist clinical assignment variables.The 7 items demonstrated a single-factor structure, allowing calculation of mean score over the 7 items. Individual anesthesiologist scores were reliable when scores were provided by at least 10 different CRNAs. Anesthesiologists' scores (mean 3.34 [SD 0.41]) were not affected by the interval since last CRNA-anesthesiologist interaction, number of interactions, or case-specific variables. There was a negative association between leniency-adjusted anesthesiologist scores and years of anesthesiologist postgraduate practice (coefficient -0.20 per decade, t = -19.39, P 0.0001). The association remained robust when accounting for case-specific variables, resident clinical supervision scores, and overall clinical assignment variables.Anesthesiologists' operating room performance can be evaluated reliably by non-physician anesthesia providers (CRNAs). The evaluation process can be done reliably and validly using an assessment scale consisting of only a few (10) items and with evaluations by only a few individuals (≥10 CRNA raters). There is no indication evaluations provided by CRNAs were significantly influenced by the interval between interaction and evaluation, number of interactions, or other case-specific variables. From CRNAs' perspectives, on average, as anesthesiologists gain experience, anesthesiologists' behaviors in the operating room change, providing CRNAs with less direct assistance in patient care.

Study objective To estimate the prevalence of unscheduled absences in a cohort of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) over a 3-year period, for purposes of critiquing statistical review of individual providers relative to potential identification of patterns of such absences. Design Retrospective, observational study. Setting University hospital. Subjects 99 CRNAs performing clinical assignments in the operating rooms. Interventions None. Measurements CRNA daily clinical assignments and unscheduled absences were retrieved from the department's staff assignment software package. Data were extracted and analyzed to estimate the prevalence of unscheduled absences by CRNAs by day of the week, and whether each absence occurred on the workday before or after either a holiday or a personal vacation. A statistical power analysis was performed to determine the number of workdays of data required to identify outlier personnel above the 95th percentile among all CRNAs while controlling for a family-wise error rate of 5%. Main results The overall incidence of unscheduled absences pooled by days was 1.7%, with small differences among days of the week, and before or after vacations. A year of data would be required to detect outliers for unscheduled absences exceeding the 95% upper confidence limit among all CRNAs. Attempting to identify patterns of absences being on specific days of the week or as related to holidays and vacations would require multiple years of data. Conclusions OR managers can detect CRNAs with excessive numbers of unscheduled absences, but at least a year of data is required. Detecting apparent “patterns” of absences would require multiple years of data and is thus impractical.

In anaesthesiology, little attention has been drawn to the role of anaesthesia nurses as support personnel on quality of care., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Background Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a low-frequency, high-impact event that many certified registered nurse anesthetists may be unprepared to manage due to limited clinical experience. Method A pretest, posttest, repeated-measures design was used to evaluate whether certified registered nurse anesthetists' MH knowledge improved immediately after and three months after high-fidelity simulation training. Technical and nontechnical skills were assessed during simulation training. Results After implementation, mean MH knowledge scores and self-confidence levels remained higher at three-month postimplementation than pretest scores. Conclusion MH simulation training increased participant's knowledge and self-confidence needed to manage an MH crisis.

Background The health system of Liberia, a low-income country in West Africa, was devastated by a civil war lasting from 1989 to 2003. Gains made in the post-war period were compromised by the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic. The already fragile health system experienced worsening of health indicators, including an estimated 111% increase in the country's maternal mortality rate post-Ebola. Access to safe surgery is necessary for improvement of these metrics, yet data on surgical and anesthesia capacity in Liberia post-Ebola are sparse. The aim of this study was to describe anesthesia capacity in Liberia post-Ebola as part of the development of a National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan (NSOAP). Methods Using the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) Anaesthesia Facility Assessment Tool (AFAT), we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 26 of 32 Ministry of Health recognized hospitals that provide surgical care in Liberia. The surveyed hospitals served approximately 90% of the Liberian population. This assessment surveyed infrastructure, workforce, service delivery, information management, medications, and equipment and was performed between July and September 2019. Researchers obtained data from interviews with anesthesia department heads, medical directors and through direct site visits where possible. Results Anesthesiologist and nurse anesthetist workforce densities were 0.02 and 1.56 per 100,000 population, respectively, compared to 0.63 surgeons per 100,000 population and 0.52 obstetricians/gynecologists per 100,000 population. On average, there were 2 functioning operating rooms (ORs; OR in working condition that can be used for patient care) per hospital (standard deviation [SD] = 0.79; range, 1-3). Half of the hospitals surveyed had a postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and intensive care unit (ICU); however, only 1 hospital had mechanical ventilation capacity in the ICU. Ketamine and lidocaine were widely available. Intravenous (IV) morphine was always available in only 6 hospitals. None of the hospitals surveyed completely met the minimum World Health Organization (WHO)-WFSA standards for health care facilities where surgery and anesthesia are provided. Conclusions Overall, we noted several critical gaps in anesthesia and surgical capacity in Liberia, in spite of the massive global response post-Ebola directed toward health system development. Further investment across all domains is necessary to attain minimum international standards and to facilitate the provision of safe surgery and anesthesia in Liberia. The study results will be considered in development of an NSOAP for Liberia.

Background Underserved sub-Saharan countries have 0.1 to 1.4 anesthesia providers per 100 000 citizens, below the Lancet Commission's target of 20 per 100 000 needed for safe surgery. Most of these anesthesia providers are nurse anesthetists, with anesthesiologists numbering as few as zero in some nations and 2 per 7 million in others, such as Sierra Leone. In this study, we compared 2 simulation-based techniques for training nurse anesthetists on the Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator-rapid-cycle deliberate practice and mastery learning. Methods A 2-week Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator course was administered to 17 participants in Sierra Leone. Seven were randomized to the rapid-cycle deliberate practice group and 10 to the mastery learning group. Participants underwent baseline and posttraining evaluations in 3 scenarios: general anesthesia, intraoperative power failure, and postoperative pulmonary edema. Performance was analyzed based on checklist performance scores and the number of times participants were stopped for a mistake. Statistical significance to 0.05 was determined with the Mann-Whitney U Test. Results Checklist performance scores did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. When the groups were combined, simulation-based training resulted in a statistically significant improvement in performance. The highest-frequency problem areas were preoxygenation, switching from spontaneous to mechanical ventilation, and executing appropriate treatment interventions for a postoperative emergency. Conclusion Both rapid-cycle deliberate practice and mastery learning are effective methods for simulation-based training to improve nurse anesthetist performance with the Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator in 3 separate scenarios. The data did not indicate any difference between these methods; however, a larger sample size may support or refute our findings.