Authors: Leigh Barry and Corin Veradt
Cultural & Situational Awareness Toolkit for Anesthesia Providers in Global Health Electives
A DNP project creating the first anesthesia-specific ethics toolkit for providers preparing for global health electives in low-resource settings
This project blends adult learning theories, ethical training, and vignette-style learning to prepare anesthesia providers for global health electives. Developed through a modified Delphi process, the toolkit equips clinicians with cultural awareness and ethical decision-making skills for safe, respectful, and sustainable anesthesia care in low-resource settings
Why is this important?
Limited research addresses the unique ethical challenges faced by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and nurse anesthesia students in global health settings. Guided by ethical codes from the International Council of Nurses and IFNA (2021), the profession emphasizes equity, social justice, and cultural respect. Yet, the absence of targeted pre-departure training can lead to ethical missteps and strained relationships with host communities. This project fills that gap by developing a toolkit grounded in adult learning theory and existing research to foster cultural sensitivity, ethical practice, and respectful global engagement.
Ethical Training Domains
This training is grounded in four principles of Western medical ethics:
- Autonomy: Empowering patients to make their own informed choices.
- Nonmaleficence: The obligation to avoid causing harm or suffering.
- Beneficence: Actively working to benefit and protect patients.
- Justice: Ensuring fair access and allocation of healthcare resources.
Recognize that Western ethical frameworks may not fully encompass all cultural perspectives.
Learning Modules
General Course Information and Contents
This toolkit consists of an introduction module and six vignettes. It will take approximately 1 hour to complete. When you finish, follow the directions to request your certificate of completion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and Instructions (5 minutes)
2. Cultural Humility (10 minutes)
3. Patient Autonomy (10 minutes)
4. Religious Considerations (10 minutes)
5. Scope of Practice (10 minutes)
6. Protecting Confidentiality (10 minutes)
7. Resource Limitation (10 minutes)
Meet the Creators
Leigh Barry, RN, MSN
Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Northeastern University
Leigh Barry is a student registered nurse anesthetist at Northeastern University (Class of 2027) with a clinical background in cardiovascular and trauma critical care. A U.S. military veteran, Leigh offers a unique perspective shaped by years of service and diverse nursing experience. She is dedicated to providing safe, compassionate, and culturally humble anesthesia care both locally and internationally.
Corin Veradt, RN, BSN
Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Northeastern University
Corin Veradt is a student registered nurse anesthetist at Northeastern University (Class of 2027) with a clinical foundation in neurotrauma intensive care. As a current officer in the U.S. Army Reserves with deployment experience, her frontline service strengthened her dedication to global health and culturally competent care. Corin is passionate about ethical anesthesia practice in underserved settings and advancing equitable healthcare delivery worldwide.