Chest Radiograph Interpretation: Online Teaching Resources for Non-Radiologists.

Chest radiographs provide vital information to clinicians. Medical professionals need to be proficient in interpreting chest radiographs to care for patients. This review examines online methods for teaching chest radiograph interpretation to non-radiologists. An online database search of PubMed and the Cochrane Databases of Systematic Reviews revealed 25 potential evidence sources. After using the similar articles tool on PubMed, eight evidence sources met the inclusion criteria. Three sources supported the use of online learning to increase students' confidence regarding chest radiograph interpretation. The evidence suggests that through self-directed online learning, students can learn skills to diagnose disease processes as well as to confirm the placement of invasive lines and tubes. Using online learning for teaching radiograph interpretation to non-radiologists is an evolving practice. A flexible schedule is needed when implementing the electronic learning process for busy students. Monitoring module completion and postlearning assessment of knowledge is important. Further research is warranted on electronic teaching of chest radiograph interpretation in nurse anesthesia programs. A list of potential online resources for teaching chest radiograph interpretation is presented.

Perception of the Scholarly Work Project by DNP/DNAP Graduates: A Preliminary Survey.

The purpose of this descriptive pilot survey was to understand the experiences of students completing scholarly work projects for practice doctorate programs. With this work, we hoped to fill the literature gap and to inform curriculum. A descriptive survey was used to answer the question: How do graduates of entry level and completion degree Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) programs perceive the scholarly work requirements? The Chi-square test of independence was used to compare whether there was a statistically significant association between the responses to the survey question and the demographic variable. Only 46 DNP/DNAP graduates (4%) completed the survey. The survey results indicated that students in completion programs believed that their scholarly work empowered them to conduct future scholarly work as compared with the entry-topractice cohorts. Variables addressing each aspect of scholarly work project were described by the participants. This preliminary work provides a glimpse into the experience of scholarly work projects for the practice doctorate. To provide greater depth and understanding of this important aspect of doctoral education, a larger sampling of graduates is needed. A collaborative study might be beneficial.

Scholarly Work for Practice Doctorate Nurse Anesthesia Programs: Current State and Guidance.

The Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs: Practice Doctorate was adopted by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) in January 2015. Balancing academic and clinical preparation for doctoral students, preparation for the National Certification Examination, and requirements for scholarly work represents a major challenge for students, faculty, and programs. With most nurse anesthesia programs having transitioned to the practice doctorate, the COA was in a pivotal position to examine the current state of scholarly work and to produce a white paper to guide programs' development of criteria for scholarly work. To inform the guidance contained in the white paper, nurse anesthesia educators provided input via a survey, a focus group at the 2019 Assembly of Didactic and Clinical Educators meeting, and an active discussion and question-and-answer session during the Assembly. A call for comments was also sent to stakeholders for review and comment on the draft white paper. The guidance set forth in the white paper in no way supersedes institutional and/or other accreditor requirements. The aim of this guidance is to aid nurse anesthesia programs in successfully managing scholarly project curriculum. This article provides an overview of the project.

Predicting success in nurse anesthesia programs: an evidence-based review of admission criteria.

Nurse anesthesia programs strive to minimize attrition due to academic reasons and maximize student success. The authors examined the evidence for evaluating applicants to nurse anesthesia programs that may help predict success in the program and on the National Certification Examination for Nurse Anesthetists. A search strategy guided gathering of evidence from peer-reviewed journals. Evidence from non-anesthesia graduate nursing programs was included because of the suspected lack of evidence specifically examining nurse anesthesia programs. Eight sources involved solely graduate nurse anesthesia programs, 9 involved graduate nursing programs without stu-graduate nursing programs with student registered Nurdent registered nurse anesthetists, and 2 pertained to nurse anesthetists. Most of the evidence sources were descriptive studies. The evidence overall supports current commonly used admissions criteria such as undergraduate grade point averages. The requirement for applicants to take the Graduate Record Examination should be examined closely. Programs should also consider the length of time the applicant has been out of a formal educational setting. Based on these findings, programs may cautiously explore revising the admission policy. Further investigations are proposed to explore the predictive value of various admission criteria.

Predicting academic progression for student registered nurse anesthetists.

In order to foster academic progression and improve retention in nurse anesthesia programs, admission selection criteria require attention. With the escalating cost of graduate education coupled with the current economic crisis, efforts by educational leaders to minimize attrition remain pivotal. Selecting potential candidates who are most likely to succeed, aligned with data-driven evidence, offers the greatest potential for academic success for student registered nurse anesthetists. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if a relationship existed between admission criteria (grade point average [GPA], science grade point average [SGPA], Graduate Record Examination scores, and critical care experience) and academic progression (current academic status and GPA). Key findings revealed that statistically significant relationships exist between the admission selection criteria and academic progression. Findings also indicated that a combination of the independent variables, specifically the GPA and SGPA, predict academic progression. Further research that includes examination of cognitive and noncognitive admission criteria may offer greater evidence predicting academic performance by student registered nurse anesthetists.

Percutaneous myocardial laser revascularization in patients with refractory angina pectoris.

This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of percutaneous myocardial laser revascularization (PMLR). Seventy-three patients with stable angina pectoris (class III or IV) who were unsuitable for conventional revascularization and had evidence of reversible ischemia by thallium-201 scintigraphy, ejection fraction of > or =25%, and myocardial wall thickness > or =8 mm were randomized to optimal medical therapy alone (n = 37) or PMLR with optimal medical therapy (n = 36). Patients were followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary end point was exercise time. Secondary end points included angina scores, left ventricular ejection fraction, quality of life, changes in medical therapy, and hospitalizations. All 36 patients randomized to PMLR underwent the procedure successfully with no periprocedure deaths. One patient developed sustained ventricular tachycardia that required electrical cardioversion, and 1 patient developed cardiac tamponade that required surgical drainage. At 12 months, exercise times improved by 109 seconds in the PMLR group but decreased by 62 seconds in the control group (p <0.01). Angina scores improved by 2 classes in 36% of PMLR-treated patients at 12 months compared with 0% of the control patients (p <0.01). We conclude that PMLR is a relatively safe procedure that provides patients with symptomatic angina relief and improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life.