Date of Award

Fall 2018

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Chair

Marjorie Geisz-Everson

Committee Chair Department

Nursing

Committee Member 2

Michong Rayborn

Committee Member 2 Department

Nursing

Committee Member 3

Mary Jane Collins

Committee Member 3 Department

Nursing

Abstract

In the world of anesthesia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can cause a conglomeration of post-operative complications. One of the best ways to avoid these complications is to alter one’s anesthetic to accommodate the needs of a patient with OSA. The current issue with altering one’s anesthetic is that a majority of patients with OSA still remain undiagnosed. My project that will showcase just how many patients have undiagnosed OSA.

The goal of this project was to recognize how many patients were at moderate to high risk for OSA. I did this by providing an in-service on OSA and the STOP-Bang questionnaire to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists at a hospital in east-central Mississippi. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) were to incorporate the questionnaire into their preoperative assessments for patients receiving anesthesia in the gastrointestinal laboratory (GI) for one month. Through the data collection, it was determined that approximately 28% of patients (n=223) were considered at moderate to high risk for OSA.

After the completion of the project, it was recommended that a referral program should be implemented for patients that scored a 5 or higher on the STOP-Bang questionnaire. Through the use of the STOP-Bang questionnaire, CRNAs are able to better adapt their choice of anesthetic for patients considered to be moderate to high risk for OSA. This awareness leads to improved patient safety and better patient outcomes.

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