TY - JOUR
T1 - Improved oral health knowledge in a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner program
AU - Pike, Nancy A.
AU - Kinsler, Janni J.
AU - Peterson, Jennifer K.
AU - Verzemnieks, Inese
AU - Lauridsen, Lauren
AU - Love-Bibbero, Laurie
AU - Ramos-Gomez, Francisco
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments: The authors would like to acknowledge the continued funding support by the Health Resources and Services Administration (Grant ID: D88HP20129 and D88HP39034).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/5/31
Y1 - 2022/5/31
N2 - Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) are a significant workforce in primary care and are uniquely positioned to improve oral health in children through ongoing surveillance in the well-child visit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PNP student satisfaction and knowledge gained with the integration of the Strategic Partnership for Interprofessional Collaborative Education in Pediatric Dentistry (SPICE-PD) oral health education program into the first-year primary care curriculum. A descriptive, comparative design examined dental test scores across the pre-SPICE-PD (2013-2014; n = 26) and post-SPICE-PD (2015-2020; n = 55) cohorts. An electronic survey was completed (n = 47; 67%), and focus group (n = 12) audio-recordings were analyzed using Atlas.ti 8.0. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test were used to assess differences between groups. The SPICE-PD students reported improved knowledge and skill in clinical practice. Focus group themes were oral health education was beneficial, impact of coronavirus disease 2019, and suggestions for improvement. Mean dental test scores improved pre- and post-SPICE-PD (83 vs. 93; p <.001). The SPICE-PD oral health education improved knowledge and was highly satisfying for students. Pediatric nurse practitioners are ideally positioned to integrate oral health into primary care services, thereby improving access to care and ultimately reducing or mitigating early childhood caries. Evaluation of PNP postgraduation practices in the primary care setting is needed to assess whether improved knowledge results in practice change.
AB - Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) are a significant workforce in primary care and are uniquely positioned to improve oral health in children through ongoing surveillance in the well-child visit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PNP student satisfaction and knowledge gained with the integration of the Strategic Partnership for Interprofessional Collaborative Education in Pediatric Dentistry (SPICE-PD) oral health education program into the first-year primary care curriculum. A descriptive, comparative design examined dental test scores across the pre-SPICE-PD (2013-2014; n = 26) and post-SPICE-PD (2015-2020; n = 55) cohorts. An electronic survey was completed (n = 47; 67%), and focus group (n = 12) audio-recordings were analyzed using Atlas.ti 8.0. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test were used to assess differences between groups. The SPICE-PD students reported improved knowledge and skill in clinical practice. Focus group themes were oral health education was beneficial, impact of coronavirus disease 2019, and suggestions for improvement. Mean dental test scores improved pre- and post-SPICE-PD (83 vs. 93; p <.001). The SPICE-PD oral health education improved knowledge and was highly satisfying for students. Pediatric nurse practitioners are ideally positioned to integrate oral health into primary care services, thereby improving access to care and ultimately reducing or mitigating early childhood caries. Evaluation of PNP postgraduation practices in the primary care setting is needed to assess whether improved knowledge results in practice change.
KW - Curriculum
KW - early childhood caries
KW - knowledge
KW - pediatric nurse practitioner
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U2 - 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000696
DO - 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000696
M3 - Article
C2 - 35102094
AN - SCOPUS:85129780867
SN - 2327-6886
VL - 34
SP - 755
EP - 762
JO - Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
JF - Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
IS - 5
ER -