The Nursing clinics of North America
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General anesthesia is a state of reversible, descending depression of the central nervous system that is induced by inhalational or intravenous drugs. Components of general anesthesia include hypnosis, analgesia, amnesia, and muscle relaxation. Recognized anesthesia providers include CRNAs and anesthesiologists. Improvements in pharmacologic agents, technology, and education of providers have sharply reduced morbidity and mortality associated with anesthesia.
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The ultimate goal of preanesthetic evaluation and preparation of the patient is reduction of morbidity and mortality of surgery and anesthesia. Using advanced practice nursing skills of therapeutic communication, physical assessment, and attainment of a health history, the CRNA plans and implements the safest possible plan of anesthetic care.
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Regional techniques have become increasingly popular for anesthesia and analgesia for surgical patients. It is also frequently used for the patient with nonsurgical pain such as cancer. New discoveries in physiology, pharmacology, pain modulation and transmission as well as pain management therapies are a dynamic field of study in regional anesthesia and analgesia. Nurse-anesthetists provide regional techniques as part of their armamentarium of clinical skills.
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Nurs. Clin. North Am. · Sep 1996
ReviewClinical aspects of nurse anesthesia practice. Sedation and monitored anesthesia care.
Safe monitoring of patients receiving sedation mandates that all care givers recognize the potential physiologic trespass of sedatives, hypnotics, and opioid-like drugs on cerebral or respiratory systems. They must be ready to recognize this affront immediately, have necessary resuscitative equipment available, possess prerequisite skills to intervene in adverse changes, and know when to seek additional help. The long history of CRNA practice has helped to define nursing roles in this important form of perioperative care.
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Nurs. Clin. North Am. · Sep 1996
The advanced practice nurse in an acute care setting. The nurse practitioner in adult cardiac surgery care.
Growing numbers of nurse practitioners are shifting practice to the acute care setting. Nurse practitioners are responding to the demand by hospitals for more efficient, cost effective, and safe patient care. An Adult Cardiac Surgery program in New York City uses acute care nurse practitioners in providing patient care through the hospital course. This article explores one such practice.