Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #183

Abstract Dexmedetomidine has emerged as a valuable adjunct in anesthetic management for laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Research was conducted and published in the early 2000s, with a subsequent increase in clinical application in 2010. The goal of this project was to educate Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologists (CRNAs) on the drug's advantageous pharmacologic profile, appropriate dosing regimen, and the clinical situations in which dexmedetomidine should be used, thereby leading to its utilization in subsequent cases.
Pre- and post-intervention data were collected over 2 weeks each. Between data collection weeks, an educational intervention was completed. Most significantly, our survey showed a 31% increase in providers reporting no concerns about using dexmedetomidine in future laparoscopic cases. However, our research also revealed a barrier that hindered the medication’s use in the operating room.