Despite the significant quantity of observational data that intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can discern, the underlying pathology of hemodynamic compromise during noncardiac surgery and thereby direct appropriate resuscitation, and the very low incidence of serious complications with TEE, only approximately 20-25% of CRNAs incorporate this diagnostic modality in their clinical practice. One likely reason for this low prevalence is lack of adequate TEE training in nurse anesthesia education. To correct this condition, it is important to offer practical workshops in focused rescue TEE wherein qualitative echocardiographic examinations employing a handful of views are used to diagnose common intraoperative pathologies associated with adverse hemodynamic events. This session will examine the elements of a successful didactic and simulation-based workshop that has recently been developed to distill this broad topic into specific skills most useful to a practicing CRNA and to teach and assess beginning competence in this skill set.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the reasons why acquiring focused rescue transesophageal echocardiography skills is important for CRNAs.
List the ways that focused rescue transesophageal echocardiography can enhance the safety of CRNA noncardiac surgery practices.
Summarize the elements of a didactic and simulation-based curriculum that can successfully distill the broad topic of transesophageal echocardiography into skills that are most useful to practicing CRNAs.
