The Application of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms to the Education and Practice of Nurse Anesthetists

Aim: A discussion of the applicability of a middle range theory to the education and practice of nurse anesthetists. Background: The educational standards of nurse anesthetists is transitioning to a doctorate level by the year 2025, in response to the increased demands of more complex surgical services and increased patient comorbidities, which requires the need to apply nursing theory. However, the application of nursing theory to nurse anesthesia is very limited. Design: Discussion paper Data Sources: A literature search for the period of 1860 – 2016 was undertaken. This included searching the following databases: Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Implications for Nursing: Educational programs for nurse anesthetists and CRNAs in practice could apply the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (TOUS) during their educational training and while caring for patients requiring anesthesia. Conclusion: To further explore the application of the TOUS to the education and practice of nurse anesthetists to fulfill requirements of educational standards and to improve the quality of patient performance outcomes.