Date of Conferral
8-11-2026
Date of Award
August 2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Susan Huehn
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant practice concern in community health settings, where adults often encounter barriers to effective self-management, including low health literacy, socioeconomic challenges, and limited access to Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). At the project site, inconsistent staff preparation, high patient volume, and limited standardized teaching resources contributed to gaps between evidence-based standards and routine diabetes education. To address these gaps, the project implemented a standardized, culturally responsive diabetes-education workflow to strengthen care quality, patient safety, and responsible resource use. The practice question guiding the project was: How does implementing a standardized, culturally responsive diabetes-education workflow and staff training improve staff competency and early patient outcomes, including DSMES referral rates, documentation accuracy, and patient A1c outcomes, over a fifteen-week period in a community health center? This question emphasized the need for structured, evidence based processes to support high-value diabetes care delivery. The project integrated national diabetes education standards and DNP competencies through staff training, culturally responsive resources, and EHR prompts. Evaluation measures included staff competency, workflow adherence, documentation quality, DSMES referrals, A1c trends, and indicators related to patient self-care, glycemic control, health equity, and sustainable diabetes management.
Recommended Citation
LARTEY, LYDIA ASABEA, "Improving Glycemic Control and Self-Care Among Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at a Community Health Center" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20613.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20613
