Date of Award

Spring 2019

Document Type

DNP Project Restricted

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

Committee Chairperson

Cheryl Monturo, Ph.D., MBE, ACNP-BC

Committee Member

Jaqueline Owens, DNP, CRNP

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a significant threat to all Americans, both nationally and locally, as it is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death. CRC can be caught early or prevented through several approved screening methods, but unfortunately, upwards of 52.1% of Americans are deficient in CRC screening. In an attempt to increase CRC screening rates at a Northeastern suburban hospital-owned primary care practice, an evidence-based intervention, the Flu-FIT Program, was implemented. For this project, participants were offered one of three approved CRC screening methods, the FIT kit, the FIT-DNA, or the colonoscopy when they came into the office for their annual flu shot. Due to inadequate staffing, the practice was only able to hold three flu clinics, where 12 individuals met criteria to participate in the program. While the sample size was too small to statistically analyze for significance, the FluFIT Program did improve CRC screening rates for the seven of 12 participants who completed their screening test. Despite the limited success of the FluFIT Program, it should not be abandoned for future use, but several modifications should be implemented. Changes such as expanding the number of practices in which to offer the program, as well as increasing staff to hold more flu clinics will increase the potential success of future FluFIT Programs.

Download

Share

COinS