Development of a Nurse Anesthesia Program Point-of-Care Ultrasound Airway Examination Curriculum

Author

Sarah Elyse Sandheinrich Butler, Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleFollow
Colton Phillip Butler, Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-19-2023

Document Type

DNP Project

Project Team Faculty Member

Matthew Bednarchik, DNP, CRNA, APRN

Project Team Faculty Member

Adam Schneider, DNP, CRNA, NSPM-C

Project Team Faculty Member

Kevin Stein, DNAP, CRNA, APRN

Keywords

point-of-care ultrasound, POCUS, airway assessment, airway examination, peer teaching, nurse anesthesia curriculum

Abstract

Airway management is a critical and fundamental skill for anesthesia providers. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an up-and-coming assessment technique that can provide critical information about a patient’s airway anatomy and may increase patient safety during anesthesia care. As a result, understanding the appropriate POCUS equipment, techniques, findings, and clinical implications for airway examination can become essential for safe and effective anesthesia practice. This project aimed to develop a clinical airway POCUS examination curriculum with detailed instructions on all aspects of appropriate examination equipment, set-up, technique, and implications for findings. The team designed the curriculum to incorporate it into the host Nurse Anesthesia program and to utilize it in future anesthesia coursework. It included an educational PowerPoint presentation with a voiceover lecture and a hands-on skills development lab conducted for third-year Nurse Anesthesia students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). Pre-lab and post-lab surveys were collected to enable a comparative analysis of the curriculum's effectiveness. The post-lab data showed that most students began with limited knowledge of the necessary elements of airway POCUS examination but ended the lab session with significantly increased confidence in their ability to perform an airway POCUS examination.

Recommended Citation

Butler, Sarah Elyse Sandheinrich and Butler, Colton Phillip, "Development of a Nurse Anesthesia Program Point-of-Care Ultrasound Airway Examination Curriculum" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 282.
https://spark.siue.edu/dnpprojects/282

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