Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Deborah Lewis

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease with progressive deterioration that occurs over years or decades. There is a need for individuals affected by HF to be educated regarding this complex disease. Health literacy, an integral part of health and wellness, is one's ability to understand and use health information. Ninety million adults in America have difficulty understanding and using health information, resulting in higher rates of hospitalization and use of emergency services among patients. Limited health literacy may lead to billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs. This DNP project addressed health literacy as it relates to medication adherence and lifestyle changes involved with HF management. To address these effects and the burden of HF, there is a need to educate healthcare staff. Evidence supports the value of staff knowledge when managing HF. A HF literacy staff education module was developed using Koh's health literacy care model and Orem's self-care theory. The education module was presented to six registered staff nurses and four medical assistants in a primary care setting in the State of Maryland. Pretest and post-tests were administered to determine if there were changes in staff knowledge regarding HF health literacy. Brigham and Women's Hospital model for pre- and post-testing was used to analyze data. Findings indicated that the average learning gained for the staff nurse and medical assistant participants was 73.68%, showing an increase of knowledge regarding health literacy in terms of HF management. This project will lead to positive social change by enhancing staff knowledge regarding the importance of health literacy and managing HF patients.

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