The Evaluation of Operational Training and Trauma Care Experience of United States Air Force Nurse Anesthesia Providers

Abstract

Abstract : The purpose of military medicine is to care for the injured during wartime. Military Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) must expand their role while deployed and be skilled in the management of trauma. Treating traumatically injured patients in Air Force hospitals is limited while working outside of the operational theater. The trauma anesthesia experience of United States Air Force (USAF) CRNAs is presently unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the experience and training in trauma anesthesia of CRNAs in the United States Air Force, as well as their perceived value of this experience and training. For this study, a fifteen-question survey tool was developed and then reviewed by two CRNA experts for validity. IRB approval was obtained from both the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and the USAF. Active duty CRNAs (N=269) were surveyed by mail about their length of time as a CRNA, the size of medical facility, the frequency of trauma cases, deployment experience to either combat or humanitarian missions, and trauma care experience outside of their military practice or during anesthesia education. The response rate was 60% (163/269). Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Services to describe the average trauma anesthesia experience of USAF CRNAs. The results showed that most USAF CRNAs have less than five years experience (109/163), and only 22% (37/163) have been deployed. Inadequate training with field anesthesia equipment was reported by 43% (16/37) of those who had been deployed. Twenty-five percent of the respondents practice trauma anesthesia in their military hospital with most doing less than 3 trauma cases per month. Twenty-two percent practice trauma anesthesia outside the military. This study found that CRNAs in the USAF highly value anesthesia experience in trauma centers, and ATLS courses.