Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects
The Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Projects collection contains the completed works of students from the DNP Program at Arizona State University's College of Nursing and Health Innovation. These projects are the culminating product of the curricula and demonstrate clinical scholarship.
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Guidelines
- All Subjects: Physical Activity
Methods: A multifaceted intervention was utilized that included educational sessions for providers, adjustments to the electronic health record (EHR), access to toolkits, and workflow changes. Pediatric patients aged 5-18 years and diagnosed with asthma (N = 173) were evaluated using a pre-post design. Provider adherence to key components of clinical practice guidelines were assessed prior to implementation, and a three and six months post-implementation. Data was analyzed using descriptive statists and the Friedman’s ANOVA by rank.
Results: Provider education, EHR adjustments, provider toolkits, and changes to office workflow improved provider adherence to key aspects of asthma clinical practice guidelines. A significant difference was found between the pre and post implementation groups (p < .01).
Conclusion: Increased adherence to clinical practice guidelines leads to fewer complications and an overall improved quality of life. Continuing provider education is critical to sustained adherence.
Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this project was to increase the rate of depression screening for patients with chronic musculoskeletal disorders in the physical therapy setting.
Methods: The institutional review board at Arizona State University approved this study with exempt status.
Depression screening with a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was completed by adult clients in three outpatient physical therapy clinics in the Midwest and Southwest United States (n=165). Degree of depression and patient response rates were measured and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Staff were surveyed prior to and post project completion regarding their viewpoints on IPC and depression in this patient population. Staff demographics were analyzed and they were evaluated on their change in perception of the problem and their likelihood of sustainability with a Wilcoxin Signed Ranks Test.
Outcomes: Patient response rate was 91.5% (n=165) exposing a mean PHQ-9 score of 5.01 (mild depression). More notably, patients whom had an existing diagnosis of depression had a mean PHQ-9 score 10.47 (moderate depression) indicating poorly controlled symptoms.
After an educational session to increase knowledge, staff perception of the problem did not significantly change, with a mean score of 2.25 out of 5 predicting “somewhat” likelihood of project sustainability.
Conclusion: Implementing a PHQ-2 rather than PHQ-9 depression screening into patient’s electronic medical records would resolve staff and patient concerns of time consumption while simultaneously improving the rates of depression screening and management in patients with chronic musculoskeletal disorders.
Background and Significance: HF affects over 5.1 million people in the United States, costing $31 billion a year; $1.7 billion spent on Medicare readmissions within 30 days of discharge. Guidelines and care coordination prevent expenses related to hospital readmissions and improve quality of life for adults with HF.
Methods: Healthcare providers (HCPs) at a metropolitan hospital participated in an education session reviewing HF treatment and CMD. Thirty participants completed the single five-point Likert scale pre/post surveys evaluating their opinions of knowledge and behaviors toward implementation of guidelines and CMD. Patient outcome data was abstracted measuring pre/post education compliance for ejection fraction, ACE/ARB, beta-blocker, HF education, follow-up appointments, aldosterone antagonist, anticoagulation, hydralazine nitrate, and CMD 30-45 day’s pre/post education. Analyses included descriptive statistics of participants and pre/post surveys using a paired t-test. Percentage of compliance for quality measures was completed on patients from September through December.
Results: Providers post intervention showed improved knowledge and behaviors toward implementation of guidelines and CMD, including reconciliation of medications to statistical significance. However, the demographics showed the majority of participants were non-cardiac specialties. Improved compliance for outcome data of quality measures was insignificant over time. The non-cardiac demographic may have contributed to this result.
Conclusion: The surveys did not correlate with the patient outcome data. Recommendations would include targeting cardiac focused HCPs for future education sessions.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a well-established predictor for the development of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) later in life. The incidence of GDM has been on the rise over the past 30 years and is the leading co-morbidity during pregnancy (Ferrara, 2007). Physical activity (PA) in combination with nutritional therapy has been shown to achieve glycemic control in women with GDM and is therefore first line therapy for management (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology [ACOG], 2017; Center for Disease Control and Prevent [CDC], 2018).
Recommendations for PA in pregnancy include 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week (ACOG 2015; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2018). Because of this, an innovative project was created to determine the feasibility of adding a walking plan into GDM care. Participants in the project received verbal and written instruction on an unsupervised structured walking plan set up for a beginner to gradually increase PA to the recommended time of 150 minutes per week for a total of four weeks. Eight women were interested, recruited, and enrolled in the project.
Results show that overall, participant PA increased. One hundred percent agreed that the walking plan was useful and increased their awareness about PA. The addition of a walking plan in GDM teaching is an effective strategy to lower serum blood glucose (SBG) levels and for meeting PA recommendations during pregnancy.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement health promotion education for overweight and obese adults with endocrine disorders. The overarching goal was to change dietary intake and improve exercise to reduce the incidence, prevalence, and impact of comorbidities associated with obesity.
Background/Synthesis: Obesity is a significant epidemic facing the nation today with multiple impacts on the national healthcare system. There is often an association between obesity and endocrine disorders such as type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Both obesity and diabetes cost the nation billions of dollars annually in healthcare costs. Evidence shows that lifestyle modifications related to nutrition and physical activity are effective in weight reduction and prevention of chronic disease, especially when given by a healthcare provider.
Methods: Fifteen adult patients at an endocrinology office in Arizona received individual counseling using the teach-back method focusing on health promotion behaviors through nutrition and exercise with a two-week follow-up phone call. Short-term outcomes measured in this project included changes in dietary intake and exercise behaviors through a pre- and post-test adapted from an obesity-screening tool developed by Greenwood et al. (2008).
Outcomes/Results: Participants were primarily Caucasian and Hispanic, married, female, average age of 50 years, average BMI of 34.5, and some college education. There was a statistically significant increase in health promoting behavior on posttest scores (M=66, SD=6.23, range=58-76) compared to pretest scores (M=61, SD=4.72, range=50-66), t(14)=-2.55, p=0.023.
Conclusions and Implications: Overall, patient health promotion behaviors increased with this educational intervention. Clinical implications include a potential decrease in patient comorbidities related to overweight and obesity. Implications for the greater healthcare system include decreased comorbidities, utilization of healthcare resources, and costs associated with overweight and obesity. Future recommendations would include determining weight and BMI changes over a longer period of time for even better outcome measures.
Keywords: obesity, obese, overweight, health promotion, health education, diet, exercise, nutrition
Background:
Asthma is one of the most common pediatric diseases, affecting 6.3 million U.S. children in 2014, that can result in negative health outcomes if not managed correctly due to it's chronic and complex nature requiring frequent and close management (NHLBI, 2007). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma will be implemented into practice to determine the health outcomes of patients before and after guideline implementation.
Methods:
Inclusion criteria includes patients 5-18 years with a history of asthma, recurrent albuterol use, or intermittent symptoms of airflow obstruction. Data will be collected through EHR data reports at pre implementation, 3 months, and 6 months post implementation and will be analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and a Friedman's ANOVA will be conducted to analyze data.
Results:
A Friedman ANOVA was conducted comparing the outcome variables six months priot to the practice change, at three months post implementation, and at six months post implementation. A significant difference was found (x2(15) = 216.62, p<.05). The implementation of the practice change significantly affected the outcome variables.
Conclusions:
In general, the implementation of a practice change to use evidence based NHLBI ERP-3 Asthma Guidelines, along with staff and provider education sessions and creation of standardized assessment and documentation tools resulted in positive changes in the outcomes variables. Findings from this study along with the literature of implementing evidence based asthma guidelines supports similar practice change implementations in other pediatric primary care clinics.
Background:
Thirty to fifty percent of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will experience
chemotherapy induced nausea and or vomiting (CINV) despite the use of antiemetic prophylaxis Uncontrollable CINV can lead to complications that add extra stress to patients, increase in healthcare costs, and utilization of resources. CINV can lead to chemotherapy dose reductions, treatment delays, chemotherapy changes, or discontinuation of treatment. Guidelines exist to better prevent and treat CINV. Evidence supports the use of guidelines to prevent CINV, however patients still suffer from CINV often due to a lack of guideline adherence.
Objectives:
The purpose of this project was to increase CINV guideline adherence by increasing knowledge of antiemetic guidelines utilizing an educational intervention for providers and nurses at an outpatient oncology office.
Methods:
A brief educational intervention on CINV and recommended NCCN guidelines was
conducted with providers and nurse (n=6) at an oncology practice in Southwestern United States. An evaluation to assess change in knowledge was performed using a pre and post test format. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, McNemar tests and Wicoxan Signed Rank Test.
Findings:
There was a significant effect on knowledge of NCCN antiemetic guidelines (Z=-1.89, p=0.059, mean 2.5) post intervention. There also was a significant impact on likelihood to use guidelines in practice (Z=-1.89, p=0.059, mean 2.5). Increasing awareness and likelihood to CHEMOTHERAPY INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING 3 follow recommended guidelines may improve CINV symptoms in patients undergoing chemotherapy and improve the treatment outcomes for these patients.
Background and Significance: Evidence shows primary care providers (PCPs) are not adhering to the GOLD Guidelines for COPD screening.
Methods: Guideline education with pre/post-intervention survey and percent of eligible participants screened.
Results: Pre-intervention surveys (n=10) and post-intervention surveys (n=8) completed. Significant increase in knowledge regarding the CAT score (M score = 11.50, U = 24.000, p<.05). Part 2) 24% (n=6) of participants were screened with the CAT questionnaire.
Conclusions: PCPs are aware of the GOLD Guidelines, but do not always adhere to its recommendations. Future research should concentrate on effective ways to implement the GOLD Guidelines screening recommendations in primary care clinics.
Methods: Analysis of a subset of questions from a larger survey was used to evaluate wearable device attitudes and behavior changes over time. Convenience sample (n=10), ages >18, required enrollment in a clinic-based weight and wellness program (WWP) to participate. The survey questions assessed effectiveness of wearable device on a 0-10 motivation scale to increase physical activity and a self- assessment of behavioral changes at specific intervals over a 6-month period. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric, two-tailed tests will be used to analyze the data. Due to the necessity of detecting minute differences with the small sample size, the significance level will be tested at the p<0.10.
Results: Participants >18 years of age, enrolled in a WWP (n=10) included 20% male and 80% female. Although a 12.3% increase in the mean score was found from week-1 to 6-months, the results were not statistically conclusive to the effectiveness of self-motivation to increase activity by participants wearing an activity tracking device; however, results are statistically significant for participants to increase activity with behavior changes based on device dashboard.
Conclusions: It is recommended for primary care providers to encourage the use of an activity tracking wearable device for behavior change to increase activity.