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Full-Text Articles in Preventive Medicine

The Impact Of Improved Staff Education And Equipment Competency On Enhancing Hypertension Knowledge In Patients At A Rural Urgent Care Clinic, Mekeilah Johnson Jan 2024

The Impact Of Improved Staff Education And Equipment Competency On Enhancing Hypertension Knowledge In Patients At A Rural Urgent Care Clinic, Mekeilah Johnson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hypertension is a persistent medical condition characterized by its progressive nature, potentially leading to long-term complications if not managed appropriately. Accurate measurements of blood pressures play a pivotal role in determining the appropriate source of treatment in this chronic illness. High blood pressure is one of the most critical risk factors for ischemia, heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney and other internal organ damage, and dementia (Zhou et al., 2021). The absolute burden of hypertension has consistently increased from 87.0 million in 1999-2000 to 108.2 million in 2015-2016 (Journal of American Heart Association [JAHA], 2018). This quality improvement project aimed to …


Impact Of An Education Program On Screening For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Lauren Rucker Jan 2024

Impact Of An Education Program On Screening For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Lauren Rucker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has the potential for multiple complications which include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The American Diabetes Association (ADA) updated its guidelines recommending screening of patients with T2DM for NAFLD (ADA, 2023). Screening is prompted by the increased incidence of NAFLD in patients with T2DM. Approximately 70% of people with T2DM suffer from NAFLD which can progress to hepatic steatosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (ADA, 2023). NALFD is a common diagnosis leading to the need for liver transplantation (Alkhouri et al., 2020). This project aims to determine if an education program for primary care providers and …


Improving Access To Early Interventions For Prediabetic Patients, Kimberleigh M. Telling Dec 2023

Improving Access To Early Interventions For Prediabetic Patients, Kimberleigh M. Telling

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Approximately 88 million Americans, or nearly one-third of the population, have prediabetes. This condition has a high rate of progression to type 2 diabetes, reaching 70%. However, early identification, diagnosis, and participation in lifestyle interventions can effectively reduce the risk and promote euglycemia. Regrettably, 85% of those with prediabetes are unaware. The goal of this quantitative quality improvement project was to enhance the use of the prediabetes diagnosis code by primary care providers, who play a crucial role in preventing type 2 diabetes. The purpose was to improve access to early intervention for individuals with prediabetes, following the guidelines of …


Implementing A Foot Screening Project For Diabetic Patients In An Assisted Living Facility, Beatrice L. Bailey Dec 2023

Implementing A Foot Screening Project For Diabetic Patients In An Assisted Living Facility, Beatrice L. Bailey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Diabetes impacts around 422 million individuals globally, resulting in 1.5 million reported annual deaths. Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 35.4% of the population in the United States, with 1.4 million new cases identified each year. When not managed properly, diabetes can spiral into a long list of complications. Among the various challenges in diabetes management, foot complications stand out as significant and often avoidable. Without proper attention, these complications can lead to severe health issues. To address this concern, this project focuses on resolving standard foot inspection practices within an assisted living facility in central Mississippi. The goal is to …


Improving Outcomes For Women Following Gynecological Surgery Through Implementation Of Multimodal Analgesia As Part Of An Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) Protocol, Shannan M. Case Dec 2023

Improving Outcomes For Women Following Gynecological Surgery Through Implementation Of Multimodal Analgesia As Part Of An Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) Protocol, Shannan M. Case

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The opioid epidemic in the United States has been a continuous public health crisis, as opioid-associated overdose has become one of the leading causes of death. The risk of opioid misuse increases following exposure to opioids perioperatively. As a result, anesthesia providers are facing a significant shift in practice to decrease opioid administration while adequately managing perioperative pain. While opioids have historically been the mainstream for perioperative pain management, multimodal analgesic (MMA) regimens as part of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs are being utilized as alternative methods. With these programs, opioids are reduced by administering non-opioids with neuraxial and …


The Implementation Of A Diabetic Foot Screening Tool Into A Primary Care Practice, Joanna P. Barnett Nov 2023

The Implementation Of A Diabetic Foot Screening Tool Into A Primary Care Practice, Joanna P. Barnett

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Inconsistent guidelines and nonadherence to diabetic foot screening recommendations are ongoing problems. This project aimed to promote the prevention of diabetic foot complications by detecting complications early and determining who is at high risk. An educational intervention provided for clinicians addressing the importance of foot assessments and the use of a diabetic foot screening tool was provided. After the education was provided, a pre-and post-test comparison was assessed for increased knowledge. Due to a small sample size and the need to assess results quickly, the plan-do-study-act method guided the project. Post-intervention, the goal was to have four providers increase the …


Increasing Provider Confidence With Expedited Partner Therapy In Rural Health, Keisha Fox Sep 2023

Increasing Provider Confidence With Expedited Partner Therapy In Rural Health, Keisha Fox

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The amount of gonorrhea and chlamydia cases reported in the state of Arkansas over the past four years has gradually increased. Expedited partner therapy (EPT) offers secure, reliable treatment for heterosexual individuals exposed to gonorrhea or chlamydia by their sexual partner without a physical exam but is not commonly offered by providers at Lee County Cooperative Clinic. This quality improvement used CDC guidelines and Arkansas legal statutes to implement EPT education for the providers in a rural health clinic in Arkansas. The goal was to increase provider knowledge and comfort in prescribing EPT. Recruitment of four providers involved discussion of …


Local Impact Of Implementing Multimodal Anesthesia For Total Joint Arthroplasty, Mary Christine Gilliland Jan 2021

Local Impact Of Implementing Multimodal Anesthesia For Total Joint Arthroplasty, Mary Christine Gilliland

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The opioid epidemic is at a critical point in the United States. This quality improvement project aims to determine which anesthesia strategies lessen the use of opioids in the surgical setting to reduce this raging epidemic. The process included total knee replacement record reviews. Reviews used general linear models to compare two multimodal anesthetic plans, including pre-medications in addition to an adductor canal and subarachnoid nerve block. The researcher reviewed the records for these patients comparing those receiving only an adductor canal and those receiving a subarachnoid nerve block. The record reviews identified postoperative pain level documentation and hospital inpatient …


Colorectal Cancer: Screening And Prevention Education, Johnna Boggs Jan 2021

Colorectal Cancer: Screening And Prevention Education, Johnna Boggs

Rural Health Professions Projects

Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States (USPSTF, 2016). In 2017 there were over 141, 000 cases diagnosed with over 51,000 deaths reported (Center for Disease Control, 2020). This raises great concern for primary care clinicians. One guideline recommended by USPSTF, is that patients undergo screening who are at low to moderate risk for colorectal cancer. This can be done by various studies. Cologuard, which is a fecal occult screening that detects certain DNA markers or blood is currently recognized by the USPSTF for colorectal cancer. The purpose of this quality …


Evaluation Of A Rural Clinic's Compliance With Bone Density Screening In Women Aged 65 And Greater, Chelsea B. Brincks Jan 2021

Evaluation Of A Rural Clinic's Compliance With Bone Density Screening In Women Aged 65 And Greater, Chelsea B. Brincks

Rural Health Professions Projects

Osteoporosis affects over 12 million Americans, leading to fractures, chronic pain, reduced independence, and decreased quality of life (United States Preventative Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2018). Up to 30% of individuals who suffer an osteoporotic hip fracture will not survive 12 months post-fracture, and 71% of all osteoporotic fractures occur in women (USPSTF, 2018). Due to increased risk with age, the USPSFT recommends all women have initial bone densitometry at age 65 or greater (2018). Medicare reimburses DEXA screening, the gold standard bone densitometry, every 24 months in individuals at risk (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMMS], 2018). The …


Hpv Immunization Intervention Application In Rural Arkansas, Randi M. Wright Jan 2020

Hpv Immunization Intervention Application In Rural Arkansas, Randi M. Wright

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) contracted with over 33,000 cases of cancer attributable to the virus in the United States. The socioeconomical impact of HPV can be combatted with the HPV vaccine which is almost 100 percent successful in preventing infection. A strong provider recommendation is the most effective way to increase HPV vaccination. A private clinic in Arkansas with a total of 13 employees were provided HPV vaccination education. A survey was provided to evaluate knowledge on the topic prior to the presentation. An intervention bundle including 9 changes to vaccination procedures was …


Comparative And Cost Benefit Analysis: Vancomycin Versus Ancef In Total Knee Arthroplasties, Zelda Epperson Jan 2020

Comparative And Cost Benefit Analysis: Vancomycin Versus Ancef In Total Knee Arthroplasties, Zelda Epperson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the definitive treatment for degenerative joint disease of the knee. Total joint infections, although low, are a complication that can be a massive expenditure on health care systems and patients. Economic costs have the potential of being high for this procedure. It is estimated to treat these TKA infections, primarily methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to be between $68,000 and $107,000. The purpose of this retrospective study is to determine whether vancomycin has greater cost benefits and efficacy in reducing post-operative infection rate of total knee arthroplasties than does cefazolin.