Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Health Care Initiative

Author

Brenda S. Nuñez, The University of Texas at El Paso

Date of Award

5-2020

Degree Type

DNP Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing (ND)

Department

Nursing

Chair

Hector R. Morales

Abstract

Chlamydial and gonococcal infections are common sexually transmitted diseases (STD) which are increasing each year in the 15-24 years age group. The quality improvement (QI) project aimed to meet clinical guideline recommendations and improve STD screening in this specific age group. The inclusion criteria for this QI project were: asymptomatic sexually active adolescents aged 15-19 years who were tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea during their wellexam visit. The exclusion criteria were pregnancy, patients with recent history of STD, and those undergoing treatment for STD. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice Model was used to facilitate the translation of evidence-based findings into practice. The quality improvement tool used to plan, test, and implement the project was the Plan-Do-Study-Act Model. The interventions in this evidence-based QI project included assessment of the sexual history, performing a urine test for patients who met the inclusion criteria, sending the urine specimen for laboratory analysis, following up for the results, and treating those who tested positive for STD. The project took place in a pediatric care setting over a six-week period. The results showed that 33 patients were tested for STD and among them one patient tested positive for chlamydia. With optimization, a significant increase in testing rates can be obtained without increasing the clinic workload thus leading to an improvement in the healthcare outcomes of patients.

Recommended Citation

Nuñez, Brenda S., "Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Health Care Initiative" (2020). Cohort VIII. 1.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/cohort_8/1