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K L Zaglaniczny

Publications and source records attributed to K L Zaglaniczny.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

The effect of flumazenil on patient recovery and discharge following ambulatory surgery.

Midazolam is a short-acting agent used for preoperative and conscious sedation. Despite a relatively short half-life, midazolam sedation contributes to postoperative sedation, delays in discharge, and increased costs. Administration of flumazenil, a benzodiazepine antagonist, can reverse the centrally mediated effects of midazolam and facilitate patient recovery and discharge, thereby reducing costs. The purpose of this multicenter study was to determine whether flumazenil antagonism of midazolam decreased the length of postoperative stay following intravenous sedation during local and selected regional procedures. A prospective, double-blinded, and randomized convenience sample of 110 adult patients who underwent procedures lasting 90 minutes or less was used. After receiving institutional review board approval and informed consent, patients received up to 150 micrograms of fentanyl and unlimited midazolam titrated intravenously to effect. Flumazenil or a placebo was administered at the conclusion of the surgical procedure. Cognitive scores were assessed by using the Digital Symbol Substitution Test and picture recall, while sedation scores were assessed by using the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale. The time between the end of the surgical procedure until the patient met discharge criteria in phases I and II was recorded. Statistical analyses revealed no significant difference in age, height, weight, sex, ASA physical status, amount of midazolam and fentanyl received, time for each group to achieve phase I and phase II discharge criteria, or postoperative congnitive scores. The flumazenil group exhibited less amnesia and sedation than the placebo group on initial arrival in the postanesthesia care unit. Discharge times between the groups were not significantly different. Factors such as staffing and institutional discharge policies were identified as determinants of discharge times.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The transition of the national certification examination from paper and pencil to computer adaptive testing.

The Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA) has been exploring computerized adaptive testing (CAT) for the national certification examination (NCE) over the past several years. CCNA representatives have consulted with experts in testing and with individuals from professional associations who use CAT for certification or licensure testing. This article will provide an overview of CAT and discuss how the CCNA plans to implement CAT for the NCE beginning April 8, 1996. A future article that explains the theoretical concepts of CAT will be published in the April 1996 AANA Journal. It is important to note that the NCE will not be a new test, the current content outline and item bank will remain the same. It is only the method of test administration that is changed--from paper and pencil to CAT. Each candidate will answer questions and take a test that is individualized to his or her ability or competence level and meets the specifications of the test outline. All candidates must achieve the same passing score. The implementation of CAT for the NCE will be advantageous for the candidates and provide a more efficient competency assessment. The last paper and pencil examination was administered on December 9, 1995. The transition is a significant event in nurse anesthesia history, just as nurse anesthesia was the first advanced practice nursing specialty to implement the certification credential, the CCNA will be the first to introduce CAT.

Certification↗
PubMed1993

Council on Certification Professional Practice Analysis.

The CCNA has completed a PPA and will begin implementing its recommendations with the December 1993 certification examination. The results of the PPA provide content validation for the CCNA certification examination. The certification examination is reflective of the knowledge and skill required for entry-level practice. Assessment of this knowledge is accomplished through the use of questions that are based on the areas represented in the content outline. Analysis of the PPA has resulted in changes in the examination content outline and percentages of questions in each area to reflect current entry-level nurse anesthesia practice. The new outline is based on the major domains of knowledge required for nurse anesthesia practice. These changes are justified by the consistency in the responses of the practitioners surveyed. There was overall agreement as to the knowledge and skills related to patient conditions, procedures, agents, techniques, and equipment that an entry-level CRNA must have to practice. Members of the CCNA and Examination Committee will use the revised outline to develop questions for the certification examination. The questions will be focused on the areas identified as requiring high levels of expertise and those that appeared higher in frequency. The PPA survey will be used as a basis for subsequent content validation studies. It will be revised to reflect new knowledge, technology, and techniques related to nurse anesthesia practice. The CCNA has demonstrated its commitment to the certification process through completion of the PPA and implementation of changes in the structure of the examination.

Certification↗
PubMed1992

Factors which predict performance on the National Certification Examination for Nurse Anesthetists.

Predicting the performance of registered nurse anesthesia students (RNAS) on the national certification examination (NCE) is an area of interest to educators, students, and employers. Following graduation from an accredited nurse anesthesia educational program, RNAS must pass the NCE to practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate 13 academic, demographic, and preadmission factors which predict RNAS' performance on the NCE. This retrospective analysis included 1,690 RNAS who took the five NCEs administered from December 1987 through December 1989. Results of multiple regression analyses revealed that seven of the 13 academic, demographic, and preadmission variables were predictive of performance on the NCE. These variables included science and overall grade point average (GPA), highest degree attained before entry, gender, number of cases, age, and years of nursing experience. The GPA in science accounted for 24% of the variance in the overall certification examination score, and the remaining six variables contributed an additional 3% to the variance. Variables which were not predictive of performance on the NCE included type of nursing preparation, clinical background, type of nurse anesthesia program, case hours, number of science hours, and length of the nurse anesthesia program. Additional research findings from the one-way analysis of variance of the categorical variables indicate that level of education before entry into a nurse anesthesia educational program is predictive of performance on the NCE. RNAS with bachelor's or master's degrees achieve higher mean certification examination scores than RNAS with diplomas or associate degrees. Similar results were found for the type of nurse anesthesia program.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗