Family Practice Nursing Commons^™

Optimizing Diabetes Self-Management Using Continuous Glucose Monitoring And Improving The Transition Of Care For Adult Patients Discharged From The Hospital, Nikki Rose Angeles

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic medical condition that affects more than 34 million Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The financial impact of diabetes is significant. Americans spend $327 billion on direct medical costs to treat the disease and its associated complications (American Diabetes Association, 2018). The management of diabetes requires a multidisciplinary approach that involves healthcare providers, diabetes self-management support resources, and a high level of commitment from the patient. Patients with diabetes discharged from the hospital often receive fragmented and inconsistent information about managing their health issues. As they transition from hospital to home, their …

Patient Care Management Of Hypertension Through Improving Follow-Up And Reducing Missed Appointments In A Primary Care Clinic: A Qi Project, Victoria Idubor

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Missed follow-up appointments constitute significant problems clinics and health centers face nationwide. A significant portion of primary care providers’ patients will require follow-up appointments to manage their chronic illnesses. About 20 to 40% of patients seen at this clinic have a history of hypertension. Uncontrolled hypertension has been shown to increase the risk of certain cardiovascular disease events and mortality. Follow-up appointments are crucial for patients with hypertension to monitor for more life-threatening signs and manage their overall care. Purpose. The purpose of this project is to improve the timely management of care for patients with hypertension …

Improving The Early Detection And Management Of Peripheral Artery Disease In Patients With Diabetes Within The Primary Care Setting, Julyssa Amanda Rodriguez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Diabetes is a significant risk factor for peripheral artery disease. Individuals with diabetes, greater than 50 years of age, having at least one other risk factor should be screened for peripheral artery disease with an ankle brachial index. Purpose. Improve detection and management of peripheral artery disease in persons with diabetes within primary care. Evidence. Individuals with diabetes and peripheral artery disease have an increased risk of adverse cardiac and limb events, impairing the patient’s quality of life and causing long-term disability (Berger & Newman, 2020). Methods. During a 10-week period, these processes were implemented: (a) screening all patients …

Implementation Of Comprehensive Foot Exams In Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project, Dora Elia Trevino

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase performance and documentation of provider comprehensive foot exams (CFEs) by 50% among patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in a small clinic in the southwestern United States.

The project leader assessed clinic systems including the electronic health record (EHR) to identify means to increase CFE completion and documentation rate for patients with T2DM being seen for a chronic disease management (CDM) appointment. A process was created to incorporate a hardcopy CFE documentation form into the EHR and create a pop-up care reminder notification system. Staff and the provider were educated …

Patient-Centered Implementation Of Statin Therapy In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Giovanna P. Favarato

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Heart disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The American Diabetes Association recommends statins and lifestyle modifications for all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. A patient-centered approach to primary prevention is encouraged, yet there are no specific instructions regarding implementation. The Statin Choice Decision Aid is a tool designed to facilitate shared decision-making between the patient and the provider in the clinical setting. The 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease for patients with …

Using The Adam Questionnaire In Primary Care To Identify Hypoandrogenism In Males Aged 40 Years Or Older, Jeremy Burns

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been shown to improve the symptoms of metabolic syndrome by reducing Hemoglobin A1C, belly fat, cholesterol, and blood pressure (Cunningham, 2015). The ultimate goal for testosterone-deficient patients is to have an improved quality of life by starting TRT. This quality improvement project was conducted at a small primary care clinic in South Texas. The project was started by screening 84 male patients ≥ 40 years of age using the Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM) questionnaire. The ADAM questionnaire was considered positive for anyone who answered “yes” to 3 or more questions or “yes” to …

Evidence-Based Foot Care For Persons With Type 2 Diabetes, Nicole Gutierrez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Unmanaged Type 2 diabetes leads to macrovascular changes that affect the lower extremities, thereby damaging the sensory nerve fibers and leading to diabetic peripheral neuropathy. These patients may not be able to feel pain, heat, or cold in their lower extremities and often describe feelings of numbness and tingling. This sensory deficit may lead to the development of diabetic foot ulcers which often result in amputation. These preventable foot complications may be identified promptly with adequate diabetic foot exams. Comprehensive diabetic foot examinations reduce the occurrences of foot complications associated with uncontrolled glucose management and improves health outcomes for patients …

Hiv Screening In Non-Pregnant Patients Age 13 – 64 Years Old In Primary Care Through The Implementation Of The Cdc Guidelines For Hiv Screening, Ashten M. Martin

Doctor of Nursing Practice

As many as 216,000 people living with HIV are unaware they have the disease. In order to combat the inadvertent spreading of HIV, the CDC recommends screening everyone 13 – 64 years of age. The purpose of this Quality Improvement project was to implement the 2015 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines as it pertains to HIV screening within a Southeast Texas rural health clinic. The objectives were 1) educating all staff and patients regarding the CDC recommendations for HIV screening, and 2) increase the number of eligible patients who were offered and received HIV screening. A colored checklist served as …

Increasing Depression Screenings In Adults With Advanced Non-Surgical Heart Failure Using 2013 Accf/Aha Recommendations And Healthy People 2020 Target Goals, Valerie Valencia

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to increase depression screenings in adults with non-surgical advanced heart failure using reliable and valid tools, 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association recommendations, and Healthy People 2020 Target Goals as a method to identify and facilitate appropriate mental health referral, patient education, and follow-up for depressive symptoms. Interventions took place June 5, 2017, through August 10, 2017. This intervention project involving 246 adults with advanced heart failure demonstrated that an evidence-based intervention for depression screenings increased the number of patients screened from 5% to 44%. At project completion, 65% of …

Improving Vaccination Rates In Adults With Type Ii Diabetes In A Family Practice Setting: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project, Ronda Gottlieb

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this evidenced-based quality improvement project is to implement processes to facilitate providers’ adherence to the American Diabetes Association (2017), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist (2015), and American College of Endocrinology (2015) immunization guidelines for adults with type II diabetes. Presently, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States contributing to serious complications throughout the body as a result of poor glucose control. Adults with diabetes are at increased susceptibility to infectious disease because of hyperglycemia, poor glucose control, and decreased immunity. A protocol was created using The Four Pillars Transformation Program ™ to …

Improving Hpv Vaccination Series Initiation Rates And Compliance Among Indigent Women In South Texas, Ages 19-26, Through Provider Recommendation And Additional Clinic Funding: A Quality Improvement Project, Lacey Cudd

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase human papillomavirus vaccination series initiation rates among indigent women, ages 19-26, at a clinic in South Texas. The human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted infection that has been associated with multiple types of cancers. Each year, approximately 6.2 million cases of the human papillomavirus infection are diagnosed; as many as 75% of all new infections occur among females 18-26 years of age. The human papillomavirus vaccination has a high efficacy in regards to cancer prevention, preventing as many as 76% of cancers with only one dose. The project included educating …