An Objective Structured Clinical Examination for Pediatric Inhalation Induction and Nasotracheal Intubation

Inhalation induction and nasotracheal intubation are two vital parts of anesthesia when caring for the pediatric population. Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) must be knowledgeable of the significant differences in anesthetizing an adult versus a child and be able to perform the skills associated with putting the pediatric population to sleep. These specialized skills may be challenging to perform on an actual patient without simulation and practice. The Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP) faculty at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recognized that there was a gap between learning about the skills in didactic courses and successfully performing in clinical. This doctoral project was designed to create an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to help educate and evaluate the SRNAs at USM on properly performing an inhalation induction and nasotracheal intubation on a pediatric patient. In addition to an educational tool, a step-by-step video was performed to help demonstrate the procedure to SRNAs. The OSCE is supported by evidence-based practice and was thoroughly evaluated by USM’s Nurse Anesthesia Program faculty and SRNAs. To find ways to help improve the OSCE, a survey was conducted to evaluate its effectiveness of the OSCE. Based on the survey results, the OSCE is concluded to have the potential to positively impact SRNAs by being better prepared for clinical, which can potentially improve patient safety