Date of Award

Spring 5-7-2021

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Dr. Kristi Frisbee kfrisbee@pittstate.edu

Second Advisor

Dr. Barbara McClaskey bmcclaskey@pittstate.edu

Third Advisor

Dr. Chris Spera cspera@pittstate.edu

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Ashleigh Heter aheter@pittstate.edu

Abstract

Neonatal abstinence syndrome has increased significantly in the United States over the past few decades due to the increase of maternal substance abuse. The overall goal of caring for these infants is effective management of the withdrawal symptoms, including both pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. However, nonpharmacological interventions have been shown to improve infant outcomes and reduce length of hospitalization. This project sought to increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge and confidence regarding neonatal abstinence syndrome and the utilization of nonpharmacological interventions when caring for infants diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome through the provision of an educational presentation. This study utilized a one-group pretest-posttest design with healthcare professionals caring for newborns in a hospital setting. Healthcare professionals were recruited via convenience and snowball sampling through social media platforms. Participants’ knowledge and confidence were measured before, after, and six-weeks following an educational presentation. According to the findings, the educational presentation improved healthcare professionals’ knowledge and confidence regarding neonatal abstinence syndrome and the utilization of nonpharmacological interventions when caring for an infant diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome. These findings determine that education can be beneficial for increasing healthcare professionals’ knowledge and confidence regarding neonatal abstinence syndrome and the utilization of nonpharmacological interventions.

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