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Objective To test the hypothesis that capping intravenous and epidural lines would reduce time to transfer women in labor to the operating room and time to readiness for general anesthesia for emergency cesarean. The secondary purpose was to identify latent threats to patient safety. Design Mixed methods analysis of a randomized, controlled, in situ simulation trial. Setting Labor and delivery unit at high-risk referral center. Participants Fifteen interprofessional teams that included labor and delivery nurses and anesthesiology residents. Methods Immediately before simulation, we randomized bedside nurses and anesthesiology residents to one of two groups: usual transfer or the cap and run procedure. Simulation scenarios started with fetal heart rate decelerations that necessitated position changes followed by emergency cesarean. An embedded simulated obstetrician announced the decision for cesarean; completion of an OR checklist confirmed team readiness to induce general anesthesia. Postsimulation debriefing was focused on teamwork and opportunities to improve safety, and we used qualitative analysis to synthesize results. Results We found no statistically significant difference in the overall time from decision for cesarean to readiness for general anesthesia between the two groups (usual transfer median = 445 seconds [interquartile range, 425–465] vs. cap and run 390 seconds [interquartile range, 383–443], p = .12). The time in the operating room was less in the cap and run group than in the usual transfer group (median = 300 seconds vs. 250 seconds, p = .038). Qualitative analysis of the debriefing data indicated advantages of the capping procedure, including better bed maneuverability and fewer tangled lines. Conclusion We found no evidence of decreased overall time from decision for cesarean to readiness for general anesthesia based on whether the nurse capped the intravenous and epidural lines or pushed the intravenous pole alongside the bed. However, nurses perceived improved patient safety with the cap and run procedure.

Nurse practitioner (NP) students are required to have a clear understanding of the complexities of the human body. Students enter graduate studies with varying experiences and backgrounds in anatomy and physiology. Evidence suggests that human anatomy laboratories increase learning outcomes when compared with comparative anatomy modalities. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine if teaching with a computed tomography (CT)-based three-dimensional (3D) anatomy table and cadaveric specimens improves Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and NP students' understanding of anatomy in health assessment. Students participated in a hands-on anatomy review using a 3D anatomy table and human cadavers to master the five included body systems. Presurveys and postsurveys were administered to determine how much time had lapsed since our students' most recent anatomy class and the type of dissection laboratory provided within that class; to assess knowledge confidence in pediatric Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat (HEENT) anatomy; and to assess students' confidence in pediatric anatomical knowledge for all five body systems. Data were analyzed using a Mann-Whitney U test with independent samples. All areas with the exception of HEENT showed clinically significant improvement, including overall scores. Many positive themes were identified using qualitative thematic analysis. Teaching with a CT-based, 3D anatomy table with cadaveric specimens improved DNP and NP students' confidence levels in pediatric anatomy knowledge for all five systems. This innovative combination of human cadavers and virtual technology has the potential to produce advanced anatomical understanding for prospective health care professionals and to validate their capacity to conduct complex health assessments and procedures.

This case study presents an adolescent male whose complaint of abdominal pain in the primary care office resulted in immediate referral to a children's hospital for specialized care. Abdominal pain is frequently a benign condition that presents in primary care. However, clinicians must be astute to the potential surgical or emergent causes of abdominal pain.