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Learning Objective 1: Describe an innovative collaboration between BSN students and nurse practitioners which includes phone call counseling, intensive diet and exercise session and written care reminders.
Learning Objective 2: Articulate 2 health benefits for participants and providers in the Dial Down Diabetes pilot study.
Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to determine if participants who were included as part of the “Dial Down Diabetes” project interventions had better control of their chronic illness than those who receive standard care.
Method: The research was conducted using a quasi-experimental pre and post-intervention design. The convenience sample involved 10 participants referred by APSU nurse practitioners for student nurse follow-up and who attended the “Dial Down Diabetes” educational session. The educational interventions included motivational health counseling through student phone calls, reinforcing healthier diet and exercise choices at a local grocery store, teaching pedometer use at the clinic and follow-up with written care goal reminders. The goals were to increase client activity levels and change unhealthy dietary choices.
Results: Results suggested that clients who participated in the pilot study expressed positive perceptions of the student-led interventions to their providers, and trended towards better control of their hypertension and diabetes. Blood pressure and HgA1c levels continue to be monitored by the nurse practitioners.
Discussion: Based on the findings of this study, it seems logical for nursing students to partner in health care teams when implementing similar interventions to clients with diabetes and hypertension. These collaborations should result in positive lifestyle changes which could potentially reduce complications and costs of chronic diseases.