Date of Award
7-2021
Degree Type
DNP Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing (ND)
Department
Nursing
Chair
Hector R. Morales, DNP, APRN, PMHCNS-BC
Co-Chair
Jacob Martinez, Ph.D., RN
Abstract
According to the 2016 “U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use” and the “U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use,” published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), sexually active adolescents benefit from oral contraception and counseling from their primary care practitioners, as they already have an existing relationship. As a family nurse practitioner, I could provide an initial assessment and prescribe the appropriate contraceptive instead of referring them to a gynecologist.
I learned this in my practice during a 10-day reflective practice log. After a literature review and several supporting articles, I received approval from Dr. Yuneisy Garcia for my quality improvement project at her clinic. I received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to provide contraception for sexually active female adolescents and to provide counseling to reduce the risks of unintended pregnancy and contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
Seven patients met the criteria and received counseling on safe sex practices. Only four patients agreed to begin oral combination contraception. Patient follow-up occurred after two weeks to determine the efficacy of the intervention and adherence, side effects, and adverse effects as well as physical exam and safe sex practices. All patients had successfully taken their combination oral contraception without issues; one patient reported not following safe sex practices as counseled.
Recommended Citation
del Toro, Angelica, "A Quality Improvement Initiative: Combination Oral Contraception and Counseling for Sexually Active Adolescent Girls 12-18 Years Old" (2021). Cohort IX. 1.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/cohort_9/1