Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

DNP Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

Committee Chairperson

Cheryl D. Schlamb, DNP, CRNP

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in women and are often a reason for prescribing antibiotics. Appropriately treating these infections is vital to prevent significant health concerns such as pyelonephritis or sepsis. Providers commonly prescribe antibiotics as a preventive measure, but incorrect usage can lead to unnecessary use of antibiotics. This is a large concern for the medical community, given the increased rates of antibiotic resistance. This quality improvement project aimed to answer the following research question: In women with recurrent UTIs (rUTIs), does presumptive treatment compared to standard treatment upon confirmed infection increase the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed? It identifies two common themes that emerged from the literature: the use of diagnostic urine testing to reduce the number of inappropriate antibiotics used and the importance of antibiotic stewardship within the inpatient and outpatient setting.

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