The development and evaluation of a nurse anaesthesia model for practice in South Africa

OBJECTIVE: This article aimed to present a developed model for nurse anaesthesia practice in South Africa and then to evaluate the model by national and international anaesthetist experts. METHODS: For the model development, a theory-generative research design was used as guided by Chinn & Kramer. The study included four steps to develop and evaluate the model: step one, concept analysis; step two, placing the concepts into relationships; step three, description and critical reflection of the model; step four, evaluation of the model. For evaluation of the model, data were collected using individual, in-depth interviews. Four South African medical specialist anaesthesiologists and four international nurse anaesthetists were interviewed. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using Tesch’s eight steps of thematic data analysis. RESULTS: The model was described in four phases: relationship phase, working phase, termination phase, and independent phase. The model shows a development process of a student nurse anaesthetist by a nurse anaesthetist facilitator to the mastery of the scope of practice of a nurse anaesthetist. Two themes (six categories) emerged through thematic analysis: the model and guidelines for implementation were found to be appropriate (model and guidelines for implementation are important because of the need for nurse anaesthetist, the model is applicable because it is described as comprehensive, the relationship phase was found to be important and the interdependence between disciplines is imperative, the affirmation that mastery has to be attained by nurse anaesthetists due to the complexity of services rendered), anticipated limitations to the South African nurse anaesthetist (the need to identify complex patients and limitations on the setting and refer to higher level of care, limitations due to red tape). CONCLUSIONS: This model provides fertile soil to inform and outline the education (curriculum) and practice (scope of practice) and research for nurse anaesthesia practice in South Africa.