Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity: Ensuring Sustained Nursing Knowledge in a High-Volume Outpatient Surgery Center.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Nursing Education
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) is a rare but severe complication of anesthetic procedures.
• Effective management of LAST requires prompt recognition and skilled intervention.
• Existing knowledge gaps among nurses can hinder timely and appropriate LAST care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To standardize the management of local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) within an academic medical center.
• To enhance and sustain nurses' knowledge and competence in recognizing and managing LAST scenarios.
• To improve patient safety by ensuring consistent and evidence-based LAST care.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative design was employed, utilizing an interdisciplinary team approach.
• A clinical practice guideline based on the LAST Checklist was developed.
• Multimodal education, simulation, and system changes were implemented to ensure sustained knowledge and competency.

Main Results:

• Nurses' knowledge assessment scores significantly improved post-intervention (from 4.76 to 6.34 out of 7).
• These improvements were sustained at 9 months post-intervention (score = 6.19).
• Nurses reported increased confidence and requested regular simulation sessions.

Conclusions:

• Standardizing LAST care using evidence-based guidelines is essential for patient safety.
• Simulation, multimodal education, and system changes are effective strategies for ensuring sustained nursing knowledge in managing LAST.
• Regular simulation and integrated learning modules can maintain high competency levels.