Authors: (including presenting author): :
Wong HM(1)(2)
Affiliation: :
(1)Operating Theatre and Theatre Service Centre, Princess Margaret Hospital,(2)HKU JC Nursing Leadership Development Fellowship, The University of Hong Kong
Keyword 1: :
Prone Position
Keyword 2: :
Nursing Checklist
Keyword 3: :
General Anaesthesia
Keyword 4: :
Evidence Based Practice
Introduction: :
Prone positioning is widely implemented in spinal surgeries under general anaesthesia. It often associates with risks like pressure injuries, nerve damage, and vision loss (Kwee et al., 2015; Venus et al., 2020). Absent of a structured protocol, prone positioning could result in inconsistent care (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses [AORN], 2020). In China, a unique evidence-based tool: General Anaesthesia and Prone Position Nursing Checklist (GAPPNC) was
developed. It standardized nursing practice and minimized patient injuries (Cai et al., 2022).
Objectives: :
To evaluate the effectiveness of the GAPPNC compared with standard
practices
Methodology: :
A twelve week, quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest pilot study was conducted in the operating theatre, guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act model (Taylor et al., 2014). Twenty circulating nurses participated. Outcomes were measured through direct observation,
pre/post questionnaires and nurse satisfaction surveys.
Result & Outcome: :
Compliance with essential prone positioning practices showed significant improvement. Knowledge and skill were enhanced. Nurse satisfaction improved and there was noticeable growth in confidence level. No new positioning-related complications were identified after applying the GAPPNC. It corresponds that checklists reduce preventable adverse events (Haynes et al., 2009; Oliveira et al., 2017). These results highlight the value of integrating evidence-based tools into
perioperative nursing care and suggest that the GAPPNC is effective for supporting nursing practice, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve health outcomes (SDG 3) and expand workforce education (SDG 4) (United Nations, n.d.). Extensive implementation with modifications is recommended to strengthen
quality and safety in complicated positioning care for surgeries.
