Date of Award
Fall 12-13-2025
Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
School of Nursing
First Advisor
Dr Jerica Mason
Second Advisor
Dr Lisa Pullen
Abstract
The ongoing opioid epidemic emphasizes the need for alternative perioperative pain management strategies, particularly in high-risk surgical populations such as spine surgery patients. This project proposes a scoping review to examine the role of multimodal analgesia (MMA) in reducing opioid consumption and improving surgical outcomes in adult neurosurgical patients. MMA analgesia involves the use of multiple pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches that target different pain pathways in the human body, aiming to enhance patient comfort while minimizing reliance on opioids.
This review synthesizes current literature on MMA strategies used in spinal surgeries, evaluates reported outcomes such as pain control, postoperative complications, and total opioid usage, and identifies gaps in knowledge to inform further research. Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, this project uses a structured process to map existing literature, identify key concepts, and highlight knowledge gaps. The framework allows steps such as identifying the research question, searching for appropriate literature, selecting relevant studies, charting the data, and summarizing the findings. The review includes a systematic search of databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library, and focuses on studies involving surgical spine patients, intraoperative implementation of MMA, and measurable outcomes. The project does not involve direct human subjects and is conducted within an academic setting using scholarly databases and tools.
Findings are organized by intervention type and outcomes and analyzed to identify patterns in practice. The goal of the review is to inform evidence-based perioperative protocols and support nurse anesthetists and perioperative teams in implementing opioid-sparing strategies. This work can influence clinical practice and policy development, contributing to improved pain management and reduced opioid burden in neurosurgical populations.
Recommended Citation
Milam, Madison; Mullins, Kristie; and Trent, Tatum, "The Role of Multimodal Analgesia in Spine Surgery: A Scoping Review of its Impact on Opioid Consumption and Surgical Outcomes" (2025). Doctoral Projects. 25.
https://digitalcommons.lmunet.edu/dnpprojects/25
