Date of Award
Summer 2020
Document Type
Final DNP Paper
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Faculty Chair
Dr. Betsy Gulledge
Abstract
Nurses hold a vital role in glucose management in order to ensure safety and quality outcome for hospitalized patients.
Background: Assessing serum and point of care glucose results and bringing abnormal results to the attention of the healthcare team can help maintain optimal management. Despite challenges to hypoglycemic protocol compliance, informed nurses can advocate effectively for their patients. Understanding insulin action and the effective use of evidence-based guidelines/protocols can help nurses promote optimal patient outcomes. Common barriers to glucose control and education of current best practices in the acute care setting were reviewed.
Purpose: To improve hypoglycemic protocol compliance through education in the acute care setting. To achieve Healthy People 2020 goals of reducing the disease and economic burden of diabetes and improving the quality of life for all persons with diabetes.
Design methods: A retrospective chart review of hypoglycemic episodes analyzing the nursing behavior in rechecking blood sugars per hospital protocol and education implementation to improve hypoglycemic management protocol compliance.
Conclusion: N=13. Thirteen registered nurses participated in the hypoglycemia protocol compliance training and pre-survey. A two-sample t-test was used at the end of the implementation to determine statistical significance between pre-survey and post-survey mean scores. Compliance with Hypoglycemia Protocol is a quality measure at this healthcare system. Improving the nursing staff’s compliance with hypoglycemia protocol is likely to decrease cost, length of stay, improve patient quality of care and prevent avoidable deaths.
Recommended Citation
Onyatta, Concepta, "Improving Hypoglycemia Protocol Compliance through Nursing Education" (2020). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 5.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/etds_nursing/5