Date of Graduation

Summer 8-14-2017

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Abstract

The overall goal of my CNL project was to increase participation of diabetic patients in diabetes self-management education (DSME) by at least 20%, by identifying and addressing barriers and obstacles hindering the achievement or maintenance of diabetes self-management behaviors in a medical-surgical unit. A total of 20 diabetic patients completed both the pre – and pot-test questionnaires; 40% of participants were Asian Americans, 30% were African Americans, 20% were Hispanics, 10% were Caucasians.

A pre- test questionnaire was administered to identify the barriers susceptible to hinder the achievement of diabetes self-care behaviors. The main barriers identified include the limited accessibility and the high cost of healthy foods, the inability to read food labels, the lack of knowledge about carbohydrate counting, the lack of social support, the lack of time and lack of motivation, the lack of knowledge of self-care procedures including blood glucose monitoring, medication management, poor problem-solving skills, maladaptive coping mechanisms, and the lack of knowledge of acute complications. Following the pre-test, an intervention consisting of education of patients in diabetes self-management was implemented to address the identified barriers. The goal of the education was to improve the overall health status by empowering diabetes patients to acquire knowledge, learn skills, develop the appropriate behaviors, develop the problem-solving and coping skills to overcome the barriers and obstacles identified.

Following the intervention, over 50% of participants agreed to be able to make improvements in diabetes self-management behaviors. Most of them did change their self-management behaviors; others started reflecting on it.

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