Date of Award

2024

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Awarded

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

College

Health Professions

Faculty Advisor

Saarinen, Heidi

Description

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells, leading to muscle weakness, including weakness of respiratory muscles. Respiratory issues significantly contribute to the morbidity and mortality of persons with ALS. Therefore, respiratory management is a critical aspect of care. There is a concerning lack of awareness and knowledge among rural and urban healthcare professionals regarding the respiratory management of persons with ALS. Healthcare professionals need to understand the differences between oxygenation and ventilation and the importance of following evidence-based guidelines. Nurse practitioners play a crucial role in the care of a person with ALS, overseeing and coordinating interprofessional care. Regular care in multidisciplinary ALS clinics is beneficial, but due to the complexity of the disease, persons with ALS often require care from various healthcare professionals in a variety of settings. An interprofessional healthcare approach is favorable for providing the highest quality of care for ALS patients. This project aimed to address the knowledge gap by designing, implementing, and evaluating an educational session focusing on interprofessional collaboration. This project targeted students pursuing healthcare degrees in various disciplines aiming to better equip healthcare students with knowledge before they enter practice. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys to determine if knowledge increased and to elicit attitudes and beliefs about interprofessional education. Quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized. Findings suggest that integrating educational sessions for healthcare students effectively enhances knowledge and positively benefits interprofessional interactions, which can lead to better health outcomes.

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/33966

Download

Share

COinS