Date of Conferral
3-6-2025
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Mark Wells
Abstract
This Doctor of Nursing Practice project addressed the underutilization of heat therapy for lower back pain management at an outpatient clinic through an educational intervention aimed at enhancing multidisciplinary team knowledge. My project implemented a comprehensive educational program for 12 healthcare providers. The intervention included structured learning sessions with didactic presentations, case discussions, and hands-on demonstrations. Pre- and post-intervention assessments evaluated provider understanding of heat therapy's physiological mechanisms, clinical applications, safety considerations, and treatment protocols. Analysis revealed significant improvements in provider knowledge, with mean scores increasing from 33.33% pre-intervention to 92.25% post-intervention (p<0.001). Recommendations included integrating regular educational sessions into organizational development programs, developing standardized protocols, and creating patient education materials. The project demonstrated the effectiveness of structured educational interventions in improving provider knowledge while supporting broader implementation of non-pharmacological pain management strategies. These findings have implications for enhancing patient care through increased utilization of evidence-based heat therapy interventions
Recommended Citation
Hunter, Glenys, "Enhancing Multidisciplinary Team Knowledge on the Effectiveness of Heat Therapy for Lower Back Pain in Adults in an Outpatient Clinic" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17465.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17465
