Defense Date

7-17-2025

Graduation Date

Summer 8-1-2025

Submission Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice

Department

Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) Program

School

School of Nursing

Faculty Mentor

Catherine Johnson & Rebecca Vrescak

Keywords

anesthesia, obstetrics, labor and delivery, SBAR, communication

Abstract

Effective communication between obstetric (OB) nurses and anesthesia providers is critical to ensure patient safety during epidural placements in labor and delivery (L&D) settings. At a large teaching hospital, communication gaps were identified when OB nurses requested anesthesia for epidural placements without consistently providing vital patient information. The lack of structured communication can result in important details being overlooked, which may lead to delays in care and potential patient harm. To address this, the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) communication framework was implemented to standardize and improve information exchange. This Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) project aimed to enhance communication on the OB/L&D unit at the project site hospital (PSH) by integrating a customized SBAR tool into clinical practice. Using a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement design, the project began with a baseline assessment of communication practices to identify weaknesses. The tailored OB/L&D SBAR tool was then introduced through targeted staff education and training sessions. Following the implementation, post-intervention data were collected to evaluate improvements in communication and compliance with the OB/L&D SBAR tool. Although nurses reported the tool was easy to use, results revealed inconsistent use of SBAR. Continued lack of leadership support in promoting its use for patient safety pointed to a broader organizational systems issue. To promote sustainability, recommendations include ongoing SBAR education during shift huddles, expanded training for all providers, integration into onboarding and competencies, quarterly audits with feedback, leadership engagement, and collaboration with the next DNAP cohort.

Language

English

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