Medical Mission Work by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Volunteering for Kenya Relief: Experiences and Development Guidelines

Abstract

Background: Short-term medical missions provide a significant amount of medical care to individuals in developing countries. In the provision of surgical missions, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) provide voluntary anesthesia care for a variety of organizations around the world. Kenya Relief is one such mission organization. Little literature exists regarding CRNA work during such undertakings, including preparedness and expectations as well as experiences during the mission. A means to measure these experiences is necessary for quality improvement. Methods: Maki et al.l conducted a study to establish a quantitative tool to measure multiple aspects of medical mission organizations, including personnel experiences. Using this tool as a template, survey questions were sent to 57 CRNA practitioners who had participated in at least one surgical mission for Kenya Relief in the years 2002-2015. Results: 35 practitioners completed the survey for a response rate of 64.80/0. All CRNAs reported an overall positive experience with Kenya Relief mission work, with approximately one-third reporting feeling overwhelmed, fatigue, or anxiety during their mission work. Detailed questions elicited information for establishing guidelines in order to improve the experiences and patient safety for Kenya Relief and other mission organizations. Conclusions: Despite facing challenges with mission work, CRNAs report the provision of safe patient care and positive experiences during medical mission work with Kenya Relief. Survey data, which provides information to develop guidelines for CRNAs participating in such mission work, will assist in improving the overall preparedness, experiences, and quality of care provided.