Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Sue Subocz
Abstract
Vaccinations such as polio, diphtheria, varicella, and meningitis help to protect a child from life-threatening illnesses which have previously been contained by routine vaccinations. However, misinformation, negative press, and other contributing factors, have influenced caregivers to refuse to vaccinate their children placing the children at risk for contracting the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends regular vaccinations for children beginning as newborns, yet the vaccination rate remains below acceptable levels. This project was developed to provide an educational program guided by Orem’s self-care theory and intended to increase nurses’ knowledge of vaccination and ultimately vaccination rates. A search of the literature was conducted to identify vaccination best practice recommendations, the rationale for them, and the methods for vaccinating children of all ages. The power point educational program was reviewed by an expert panel of 5 nurses who scored it using a content validity index with a perfect score of 1.0. A pretest was then administered, to the same 5 nurses participating in the project, the education program presented, and a posttest completed. Results indicated an increase in knowledge from the pretest scores (M = 0.88) to the posttest scores (M = 100). The results of this project may promote positive social change as nurses are knowledgeable of the need for vaccinations and can provide education to parents and caregivers of the children in the community.
Recommended Citation
Tillman, Mary Beth, "Methods to Increase the Rate of Childhood Vaccinating" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8589.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8589
