Date of Conferral

7-6-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Dr. Mary Rodgers

Abstract

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project involved the development, expert appraisal, and implementation of an evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for chronic prostatitis management in adult male patients at a private outpatient clinic. The practice problem was persistent symptom burden from reliance on antibiotic monotherapy without adjunctive therapies, contributing to recurrent symptoms and decreased quality of life. The purpose was to develop and implement a standardized CPG to improve symptom outcomes and support antimicrobial stewardship. The project question was: In adult male patients with chronic prostatitis, how does a standardized CPG incorporating adjunctive ozone therapy and structured symptom monitoring, compared to usual care, affect National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) scores over 8 weeks? The Johns Hopkins Evidence Based Practice Model guided evidence appraisal. Experimental studies demonstrated that combined ozone and antibiotic therapy improve urinary symptoms, antioxidant balance, and quality of life. Formal AGREE II appraisal by two independent and one internal reviewer yielded aggregated domain scores ranging from 84.5% to 93.6%, with an overall quality rating of 7 out of 7. The CPG was implemented over 8 weeks with eight patients. Mean NIH-CPSI scores decreased from 28.4 to 19.6 (8.8-point reduction), with 75% achieving clinically meaningful improvement, supporting standardized care, antimicrobial stewardship, and equitable access to integrative therapy.

Included in

Nursing Commons

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