Date of Award

Summer 2024

Project Type

Thesis

Department

Nursing

Departments (Collect)

Nursing Department

Program or Major

Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Pamela Kallmerten

Second Advisor

Deborah Simonton

Third Advisor

Danielle Woodman

Abstract

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) frequently visit acute care facilities for a variety of reasons. Proper management of this comorbidity increases patient safety, satisfaction, and quality care. Patients with persistent dysglycemic events in acute care facilities have an increased risk of complications and death during their stay. Lack of education can contribute to gaps in proper management within this population and therefore must be improved for better patient outcomes.

Methods: The Plan-Do-Check-Act design from the A3 Problem Solving model was used to guide a quality improvement project which focused on improving staff education and confidence surrounding glycemic management. The project included several in-service educational sessions where staff performed a pre-survey. This established a baseline knowledge and confidence in this area of medicine. The staff were then educated using a PowerPoint™ presentation and tested once more with a post-survey. The results of the pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys were then analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the education provided.

Results: The educational program was found to increase staff knowledge by 62% and increased staff confidence by 12%. The increase in knowledge has already been shown to directly improve patient care and safety after this model was implemented.

Conclusions: This quality improvement project positively impacted the clinical microsystem by providing education in an area which knowledge was lacking. Larger impacts of this project have already been seen throughout the microsystem with first-hand accounts of improved patient care with the knowledge obtained in this educational session. This project can be replicated in other clinical settings as the education can be shifted to the needs of that specific microsystem. Improvements to this project include set educational times outside of their working hours. This educational model could also be used during residency programs for newly graduated nurses to increase knowledge and confidence in this area prior to them being on the floor.

Key Words: dysglycemia, glycemic management, glucose monitoring, emergency department, diabetes mellitus, quality improvement, staff education, patient safety.

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