Research Chair Report

Research Chair Report

Like all of us attending the national conference, I always look forward to seeing what is new and upcoming in our field. This year there was plenty to hear about from our peers across the country and the world. Some of the more interesting research projects presented include:

• A comparison of iPad use and Versed administration in preop pediatric patients was done by nurses from Cook Children’s Medical Center. They found children who used the iPad had less anxiety, lower levels of emergence delirium and quicker discharge times.
• Development of a protocol for screening post-op patients at risk for Post Operative Urinary Retention by nurses in Ann Arbor, Michigan led to a shorter length of stay and decreased the number of patients who required catheterization.
• Perianesthesia nurses in the Philippines used a mixed qualitative- quantitative approach to identify themes and create a Model of Practice and Standards to guide nurses working in this specialty area.
• To help us understand and overcome barriers that nurses face in getting actively involved with research; Kathryn McCarraher and her colleagues at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston studied nurses in the Perianesthesia setting. As a result of their findings, they were able to implement monthly case reviews, create a journal site, and implement a partnership with a local college of nursing. These efforts resulted in new nursing research proposals at their facility.It is always energizing to see all the ways nursing research is being used to help us become evidenced-based in our practice. Not only is original research important but there is a need for replication studies to verify the findings of others. At the conference, Elizabeth Card, ASPAN’s Director of Research, reminded us that every good research project starts with a burning clinical question. Don’t we all have at least one of those a day? Remember, if you are a member of NYSPANA and are undertaking a research project that will contribute to advancing Perianesthesia nursing knowledge, grant money is available to support your efforts. Complete information is available on NYSPANA’s web page under Membership/Forms.Lastly, one theme that was everywhere at the conference was ERAS- Enhanced Recovery After Surgery. This multimodal approach seeks to attenuate the stress of surgery and expedite recovery. It started out focusing on colon surgeries but is now being embraced by many different surgical services. Multiple presentations explored its implementation by teams composed of nurses, physicians, and anesthesia professionals. The common goal was improved patient experience and outcomes. With the current pressure to decrease the length of stay and readmissions, it was well worth considering developing protocols in the Perianesthesia setting.If you are interested in learning more here is a good overview article- Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: If You Are Not Implementing it, Why Not? https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2014/06/Parrish-April-2016.pdf

  Respectfully Submitted,
  Sherry Fieroh MSN RN CAPA