Perspectives of Retired Air Force Nurse Anesthesia Leaders

Abstract

Current military and civilian CRNA history papers do not have a United States Air Force focus. This study expanded the current history of roles, relationships, and techniques of the CRNA professionals. The purpose of this qualitative study was to historically describe the roles, professional relationships, and techniques among nurse anesthetists in the Air Force since 1951. CRNAs who served on active duty in the Unites States Air Force were included in the sample. These interviews gathered information regarding the history of the Air Force. Descriptive information from these interviews described the changing roles, techniques, and relationships of the target population. The structured interview technique, with focused questions and probes, was utilized as the instrument for data collection. Reliability and validity concerns were addressed by using the accepted qualitative standards of confirmability, transferability, consistency, and truth-value. The data were analyzed by chronology and topic in Order to describe the progression of roles, relationships, and techniques. The eleven telephone interviews were completed from CRNAs who served on active duty in the Air Force. Taped recordings were made of these interviews and transcribed. Both researchers looked for common themes, progression of roles, relationships, and techniques in all interviews. The results demonstrated that commonality of experience was in evidence from those CRNAs interviewed. These commonalities included autonomy of practice, lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the CRNA from other health care professionals, and advances in technologies in patient monitoring and anesthetic delivery over time.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 11, 2005
Accession Number
ADA429476

Entities

People

  • David L. Perkins
  • Robert E. Bland

Organizations

  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Airway Management
  • Analgesia
  • Anesthesia
  • Education
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Monitoring
  • Patient Care
  • Pharmacology
  • Physiological Monitoring
  • Standards
  • Students
  • United States

Readers

  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Systems Analysis and Design