Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Barbara Barrett

Abstract

AbstractOverprescribing antibiotics for viral upper respiratory infections is a common practice in the United States. This overprescribing of antibiotics can cause several health issues and increase health care costs. Despite the current guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the overprescribing of antibiotics by providers remains an issue. The purpose of this project was to educate providers on antibiotic stewardship for viral upper respiratory infections. The practice question was used to explore whether an educational program using concepts from Lewin’s change theory and Kolb’s learning theory would increase provider’s knowledge about the current evidence- based prescriptive practices for treating viral upper respiratory infections. Six participants recruited by convenience sampling participated in the educational program and completed a pre and posttest to evaluate the extent to which their knowledge increased after participating in the program. The mean percentage difference between the pre (M = 94.5%) and posttest (M = 100%) was 5.5%. The findings suggest that providers were aware of the guidelines to treat viral upper respiratory infections; however, during post discussions, providers attributed their noncompliant practices to patient pressure and provider concern about poor ratings on patient surveys. It is recommended that providers review current practices and discuss strategies to increase compliance with the recommended evidence-based practice guidelines at monthly staff meetings. Increasing practitioners’ knowledge of evidence-based practices for treating viral upper respiratory infections and awareness of their noncompliance in treatment practices have the potential to reduce antibiotic resistance, decrease health care cost, and optimize patient outcomes.

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