Date on Paper

8-2019

Document Type

Doctoral Paper

Degree Name

D.N.P.

Department

Nursing

Committee Chair

Beverly Williams-Coleman

Committee Member

Whitney Nash

Author's Keywords

quality-improvement; pediatrics; emergency room; probiotics; antibiotics; GI upset; antibiotic associated diarrhea; prescribing habits; evidence-based practice

Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort including antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD) is a common side effect of antibiotic therapy. As antibiotic use continues to increase, more patients are affected by AAD. Significant evidence has been found on using probiotics for the treatment and prevention of GI distress and AAD. Provider education is needed in the clinical setting to share evidence and make recommendations on best practice. The goal of this intervention was to increase the rate at which providers prescribe probiotics in tandem with antibiotics, via increased provider education. A retrospective Electronic Health Record (EHR) review was conducted once before and once after the educational intervention to collect quantitative data. A pre/post-test was utilized to gather data related to the prescribing habits of the APRN’s in the Pediatric ED. Results from the intervention did not come as expected, as the majority of providers did not increase their prescribing rates. However, Data collected from the pre and post-test did show an overall increase in positive associations with prescribing in tandem. Future research should include expanded observation and follow up timeframes, perhaps within a setting different than that of the Emergency Department.

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