Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) pediatric competency-based orientation (PCBO) education program on knowledge, confidence, and early recognition of nursing expertise among perianesthesia nurses in an acute care setting.
Design: A quasi-experimental pre/post survey-intervention design.
Methods: Sixty perianesthesia nurses with experience ranging from less than 5 years to more than 20 years were included. A chapter review survey was completed to assess knowledge before reviewing the chapters and again after reviewing the ASPAN PCBO materials. A presurvey assessing confidence levels, decision making abilities, and early detection of knowledge regarding pediatric patients' expertise were obtained at the beginning of the study. At the end of the study, a post-study survey was completed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Random codes were assigned to each participant to ensure that the participants' information was blinded.
Findings: Perianesthesia nurses' knowledge increased from pre to post intervention with one of the three sets of chapters (Set 2) statistically significant. Perianesthesia nurses' confidence and recognition of nursing expertise scores increased statistically significant from pre to post intervention. Both confidence (with 33 items [P value ≤ .001]) and recognition of nursing expertise (with 16 items [P value ≤ 0.001]) were statistically significant.
Conclusions: The ASPAN PCBO was shown to be statistically effective at increasing knowledge, building expertise, promoting confidence, and improving decision making skills. The plan is for the ASPAN PCBO to be incorporated into the new-hire perianesthesia orientation didactic and the competency plan.
Keywords: ASPAN; PACU; confidence; decision-making; pediatric competency.
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