Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Marisa Wilson

Abstract

Interrupting the Sepsis Process with an Evidence-Based Education Intervention

by

Martha Olson

MSN, Walden University, 2013

MS, Southwest Minnesota State University, 2003

BSN, The University of Iowa, 1998

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

May 2015

Abstract

Sepsis is a concern, especially for the vulnerable populations. The early signs of sepsis are vague and often difficult to detect, but when detected early, are treatable with antibiotics and fluid resuscitation. When a nurse is unaware of the early signs, treatment is delayed and multiorgan failure may progress quickly. To teach nurses about changes in patient condition and thus increase their confidence in identifying sepsis, an educational intervention, guided by adult learning theory and social learning theory, was created using a PowerPoint presentation, simulation, and debriefing. The purpose of this project was to educate nurses working in a critical access hospital on the early signs of sepsis, laboratory values, and the 2012 Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines. The education was implemented and evaluated using a pre-post survey which demonstrated an increased confidence level in early sign and symptom recognition, identification of laboratory values, and implementation of the guidelines for treating sepsis. Descriptive statistics revealed that the confidence level improved following the education session in all 3 areas. Interrupting sepsis based on evidence-based practice improves the outcomes for the patient with sepsis. It also improves nurses' confidence in identifying sepsis in the early stages via clinical changes and laboratory values.

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