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
- Creators: Bonowski, Kelley
- Creators: Branch, Nancy
Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased risk for psychosocial issues (PSI), decreased quality of life (QOL), and decreased resilience. The purpose of this project was to implement a screening protocol for PSI, QOL, and resilience, with appropriate psychosocial referral for children with CHD.
A pilot protocol was implemented to screen children with CHD, aged 8-17 years, and parents, for resilience, QOL, and PSI. Referrals for psychosocial services were made for 84.2% of children screened (n = 16) based on scoring outcomes. Statistically significant differences in the parents and children’s resilience mean scores were noted. Higher parental scores may indicate that parents believe their children are more resilient than the children perceive themselves to be.
Early identification of concerns regarding QOL, resilience, and PSI in children with CHD can provide ongoing surveillance, while affording opportunities for improved communication between providers, parents, and children. Routine screening and longitudinal follow-up is recommended.
There is an increased risk of misdiagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
in preschoolers due to the lack of validated diagnostic tools and provider knowledge of normal behavior and development. The goal of this project was to standardize the diagnostic process by adopting an evidence-based ADHD algorithm protocol for preschoolers (3-5 years). In an urban military pediatric clinic, five pediatric care clinicians were provided with an educational ADHD algorithm.
Pre/posttest surveys were used to assess provider knowledge and perceptions of care. Chart audits determined preschooler ADHD diagnosis prevalence pre- and post-implementation of the algorithm. The rate of ADHD diagnosis in preschoolers reduced significantly from 78.6% pre-audit to 22.6% post-audit. In addition, providers improved their accuracy in diagnosing alternative disorders and behaviors that mimic the symptomology of ADHD (Z=-2.0, p=0.046). The rate of misdiagnosis of ADHD in preschoolers decreased because of the use of an evidence-based ADHD algorithm.