SNHP | Nurse Anesthesia DNP Project Presentations
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
DNP, Nurse Anesthesia
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Anna Fowler
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation - Murray State Access only
Abstract/Description
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to investigate the perceived barriers preventing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) from routinely incorporating ultrasound guidance into neuraxial anesthesia procedures. Additionally, the study aimed to determine whether an educational intervention could enhance anesthesia providers' familiarity with ultrasound technology and its clinical benefits, thereby promoting increased adoption in practice.
Methodology: This project employed a single-group pre- and post-survey design to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on CRNAs' familiarity, comfort, and frequency of ultrasound-guided neuraxial anesthesia. A convenience sample of eight CRNAs from a rural healthcare setting participated. The project consisted of a pre-survey, an educational intervention, and a post-survey conducted eight weeks later. Survey responses were analyzed using paired t-tests to identify statistically significant changes, with Cohen’s d calculated to measure the intervention's effect size.
Results: The educational intervention led to a statistically significant increase in familiarity with the benefits of ultrasound-guided neuraxial anesthesia (pre-survey M = 2.6, SD = 0.51; post-survey M = 3.2, SD = 0.46; p = 0.049; Cohen’s d = 0.84). While the frequency of ultrasound use increased slightly post-intervention, this change was not statistically significant (pre-survey M = 1.875, SD = 0.35; post-survey M = 2.125, SD = 0.64; p = 0.17; Cohen’s d = 0.54). Notably, 87.5% of participants indicated that the educational intervention increased their likelihood of future ultrasound use for neuraxial anesthesia.
Conclusion: This project demonstrated that a brief educational intervention significantly improved CRNAs' familiarity with ultrasound-guided neuraxial anesthesia. However, increased familiarity did not translate into immediate improvements in comfort or usage frequency, suggesting that knowledge acquisition alone is insufficient to drive clinical practice changes. To promote sustained adoption, future initiatives should incorporate hands-on training, ongoing education, and institutional support.
Keywords: Ultrasound, POCUS, Neuraxial, Anesthesia, Epidural, Spinal
Other Scholars Week Event
2025 Spring Scholars Week - Nurse Anesthesia Presentations
Turning up the Gain: Overcoming Barriers to the use of Ultrasound When Performing Neuraxial Anesthesia
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to investigate the perceived barriers preventing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) from routinely incorporating ultrasound guidance into neuraxial anesthesia procedures. Additionally, the study aimed to determine whether an educational intervention could enhance anesthesia providers' familiarity with ultrasound technology and its clinical benefits, thereby promoting increased adoption in practice.
Methodology: This project employed a single-group pre- and post-survey design to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on CRNAs' familiarity, comfort, and frequency of ultrasound-guided neuraxial anesthesia. A convenience sample of eight CRNAs from a rural healthcare setting participated. The project consisted of a pre-survey, an educational intervention, and a post-survey conducted eight weeks later. Survey responses were analyzed using paired t-tests to identify statistically significant changes, with Cohen’s d calculated to measure the intervention's effect size.
Results: The educational intervention led to a statistically significant increase in familiarity with the benefits of ultrasound-guided neuraxial anesthesia (pre-survey M = 2.6, SD = 0.51; post-survey M = 3.2, SD = 0.46; p = 0.049; Cohen’s d = 0.84). While the frequency of ultrasound use increased slightly post-intervention, this change was not statistically significant (pre-survey M = 1.875, SD = 0.35; post-survey M = 2.125, SD = 0.64; p = 0.17; Cohen’s d = 0.54). Notably, 87.5% of participants indicated that the educational intervention increased their likelihood of future ultrasound use for neuraxial anesthesia.
Conclusion: This project demonstrated that a brief educational intervention significantly improved CRNAs' familiarity with ultrasound-guided neuraxial anesthesia. However, increased familiarity did not translate into immediate improvements in comfort or usage frequency, suggesting that knowledge acquisition alone is insufficient to drive clinical practice changes. To promote sustained adoption, future initiatives should incorporate hands-on training, ongoing education, and institutional support.
Keywords: Ultrasound, POCUS, Neuraxial, Anesthesia, Epidural, Spinal
