• Theresa M Pape and Sharon K Dingman.
• Texas Woman's University College of Nursing, Denton, TX 76204, USA. tpape10@gmail.com
• Plast Surg Nurs. 2011 Apr 1; 31 (2): 49-56.

AbstractUsually, the circulating registered nurse assists with anesthesia induction, but other personnel tend to interrupt the process to ask questions that are unrelated to the induction process. Interruptions and distractions can lead to loss of focus and result in medication errors if a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) swaps syringes during anesthesia induction. In this study, 8 CRNAs and cycles of anesthesia induction were observed, and the number of interruptions and distractions recorded. Results showed that most were from other personnel (M = 3 ± 0.53), conversation (M = 3 ± 1.19), and noise (M = 1.5 ± 1.3). With an average of 7.5 total interruptions per 9 min, these results indicate that CRNAs may experience 68 interruptions and distractions per hour. In another setting, this number is likely to be different. We have chosen to publish this provocative article to stimulate other similar studies of interruptions and distractions in the surgical setting. More research may show whether silence during induction is upheld as a safety measure, and what might be solutions to distractions and interruptions.

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