DNP Projects
Date of Award
7-28-2026
Document Type
Graduate Paper
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Dr. Carrie Hoover
Second Advisor
Dr. Derek Moore
Subject Categories
Nursing
Abstract
Background:
Poorly controlled asthma contributes to preventable morbidity, yet many adults lack consistent self-management support. Local Problem: Baseline assessment at a rural Midwestern clinic revealed limited asthma knowledge, inconsistent action-plan use, and low confidence among adults with Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores below 20.
Methods:
This quality improvement project used a pre- and post-intervention design guided by Lean methodology and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework. Interventions: Registered nurses delivered standardized asthma education, inhaler-technique review, and action plan reinforcement with monthly structured follow-up for 16 weeks.
Results:
Among four enrolled participants, three completed follow-up. Mean ACT scores improved from 17.5 at baseline to 20.3 at follow-up. Self-management confidence improved in 67% of participants who completed follow-up.
Conclusions:
The implementation of a nurse-led discharge education program demonstrated promising improvements in asthma self-management confidence, action plan utilization, and trigger knowledge among adult patients. While the sample size was small, these findings suggest that comprehensive discharge education can empower patients to better manage their condition at home. Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to validate these findings and explore long-term impacts on asthma control and healthcare resource utilization.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Steinert-Abderhalden, Jolene, "Nurse-Led Quality Improvement Asthma Self-Management in Primary Care" (2026). DNP Projects. 29.
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/nursing_dnp/29