Capnography Monitoring for Patients Undergoing Moderate Sedation: An SGNA Fellowship Project.

The purpose of this Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates Fellowship project was to determine whether capnography is more accurate than oximetry in identifying symptoms of respiratory depression in patients undergoing moderate sedation. Capnography provides an early warning of respiratory depression and airway compromise, especially when the medications used for sedation include opiates and benzodiazepines. It is a standard of care according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists that should be adopted in order to provide the safest possible environment for the delivery of moderate sedation. During this project, the nursing staff were educated on the importance and usage of capnography. Evidence was gathered that helped show that by using capnography, nurses were able to identify signs of respiratory depression earlier and more frequently than with the use of oximetry and cardiac monitoring alone.

Factors affecting hospital-based nurses' willingness to respond to a radiation emergency.

BACKGROUND: Despite increased government and public awareness of the threat of a radiological emergency resulting from a terrorist attack or industrial accident, limited emphasis has been placed on preparing the US health care workforce for such an event. The purpose of this study was to develop and apply a rapid survey to evaluate hospital-based nurses' baseline knowledge, self-assessed clinical competence, perception of personal safety, and willingness to respond in the event of a radiological emergency. METHODS: The study was conducted in 2 phases, the first targeting nursing units likely to respond in the event of a radiological emergency and the second focusing more generally on members of the New York State Emergency Nurses Association currently employed as hospital-based nurses. RESULTS: Among the 668 nurses surveyed, baseline knowledge was found to be inadequate. Although baseline knowledge, clinical competence, and perception of personal safety were all positively associated with willingness to respond, perception of safety appeared to be the primary determinant. Furthermore, baseline knowledge did not appear to be strongly associated with perception of personal safety. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, the investigators recommend further clinical training to enhance preparedness and a more detailed exploration of the determinants of perceived personal safety.