Airway Assessment and Bag-Mask Ventilation: An Objective Structured Clinical Examination

Airway assessment and bag-mask ventilation are critical components to the foundation of an anesthesia provider’s airway management. The SRNA may find difficulty in efficiently providing these skills when entering the clinical atmosphere, which could potentially lead to delayed patient care, adverse patient outcomes, and loss of confidence in the SRNA’s abilities. USM’s nurse anesthesia faculty recognized the need for an OSCE in airway assessment and BMV. The OSCE was developed and targeted at first-year SRNAs prior to entering clinical, with aims to increase competence, prevent delays in care, and prevent adverse patient outcomes. The airway assessment and BMV OSCE was provided to four USM nurse anesthesia faculty, two clinical site preceptors, 19 first-year SRNAs, and 18 second-year SRNAs with an anonymous evaluation survey. There were 24 participants to complete the survey, and 100% of participants agreed that the OSCE was presented clearly, contained evidenced-based information that is relevant to current anesthesia practice, and addressed proficiencies necessary for first-year SRNAs entering clinical. Open-ended feedback resulted in common themes of the OSCE being informative and thorough, great for the transition into clinical, as well as a suggestion to edit the OSCE to make certain areas stand out better for importance. Based on the reviewed literature and survey results, it is concluded that the airway assessment and BMV OSCE could potentially positively impact first-year SRNAs and their transition into clinical, and ultimately impact the outcomes of patients