Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Access Control

Open Access

Degree Program

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Degree Track

Family Nurse Practioner

Year Degree Awarded

2013

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/4174054

Month Degree Awarded

May

Keywords

sexually transmitted infections, women, risk factors, behavioral interventions

Advisor

Karen Plotkin

DNP Project Chair

Karen Plotkin

DNP Project Member Name

Joan Roche

DNP Project Outside Member Name

Kathy Reid

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) capstone project was to bridge the research gap on the problem of increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, gonorrhea, and genital herpes among college women, ages 18-25 years, related to high risk sexual behaviors. Although a review of the literature reports that this population is provided with educational opportunities, including prior schooling, electronic resources, and primary care providers, rates of STIs among this population remain high. The purpose of this research translation project is to disseminate the current evidence of the problem of increased risk of STIs among college women, to implement best practice interventions to increase college women’s knowledge of STIs, rid misconceptions, and enhance knowledge of risk reduction behaviors in college health settings. METHODS: This DNP project was an evaluation performance improvement project with a one group pre-test and post-test. RESULTS: One-way ANOVA identified a significant statistical difference in total means scores in both tools, the General STI Knowledge Survey and Perceived Risk Survey, from pre-test to post-test (p=.00). The majority of participants reported intent to consistently use condoms post-intervention, with 94.5% (n=86) considering to use condoms for the next 6 months and 91.2% (n=83) planning within the next 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this project are both statistically and clinically significant in demonstrating the role of STI knowledge and risk assessment in decision making in college women.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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