Date of Conferral

5-8-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Carrie Percell

Abstract

Lung cancer accounted for 1.8 million deaths worldwide in 2020. Annual lung cancer screenings play a critical role in early detection, improving survival rates, and reducing mortality, particularly among high-risk individuals such as long-term smokers. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is the preferred screening method, offering a high sensitivity for detecting lung nodules in at-risk populations, such as long-term smokers and individuals with a significant history of tobacco use. Current practice at a Southeastern Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) does not use an annual screening tool to assess patients who meet the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) criteria for lung cancer. Standardized lung cancer screening, paired with LDCT, significantly improves early detection outcomes by identifying malignancies at an earlier, more treatable stage. This clinical practice guideline (CPG) aimed to validate the need for standardized lung cancer screening for eligible patients who meet the USPSTF criteria for early detection. Extensive literature review using evidence-based peer-reviewed journals led to the following practice-focused question: “Will a lung cancer screening clinical practice guideline receive an aggregate score of at least 80% in the six domains of the AGREE II tool by content experts?” The panel of four content experts reached a final score following the CPG guideline with a 92.7% aggregate score across all domains (scope and purpose: 98.6%; stakeholder involvement: 88.8%; rigor or development: 97.9%; clarity of presentation: 100%; applicability: 100%; editorial independence: 70.8%). The CPG can affect social change by standardizing annual lung cancer screenings into preventive healthcare; medical professionals can enhance early diagnosis, ultimately saving lives and improving the quality of care.

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