Respiratory Management Education for the Post Anesthesia Care Unit Registered Nurse

Background: Post anesthesia care unit (PACU) nurses provide patient care during the vulnerable postoperative period when patients are at greatest risk of experiencing respiratory management issues and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). In rural facilities such as Canyon Vista Medical Center (CVMC) in Sierra Vista, Arizona, limited staff and resource shortages can lead to suboptimal patient care conditions in the PACU setting. To compound the issue, PACU nurses in rural facilities rely on facility training and have little guidance on important patient care issues such as post anesthesia respiratory management. Quality improvement initiatives aimed at resolving knowledge deficits in settings such as these can improve both quality and patient safety via a more competent and educated PACU nursing staff. Purpose: To address an educational need among the CVMC PACU nursing staff with the implementation of a post anesthesia respiratory management educational intervention. Methods: A quasi-experimental one group pretest-posttest design using a targeted intervention based upon the knowledge to action (KTA) framework. The PACU setting was used to conduct the intervention with the nurse participants (N = 9). Descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to determine intervention efficacy. Intervention: One 75-minute educational intervention divided into three consecutive phases. Results: A significant improvement in the nurses’ knowledge (p < .05) and perception of understanding of PACU respiratory management following the intervention (p < .05).

Name thesis:degree_name

D.N.P.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Graduate College

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Arizona.

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Wilton, Ashley Jordan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Piotrowski, Kathleen

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Piotrowski, Kathleen
• Torabi, Sarah
• Henker, Richard
• Rothers, Janet

• nurse education
• pacu
• post anesthesia care unit
• quality improvement
• respiratory management

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624297

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/624297