Learning Objective #1: evaluate student use of clinical practice guidelines.

Learning Objective #2: evalaute barriers to student use of clinical practice guidelines.

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Abstract Purpose: The worldwide incidence of childhood overweight is increasing rapidly. Life-threatening complications of childhood overweight affect multiple body systems. Research indicates that clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of childhood overweight are not consistently used by primary health care providers and that providers frequently fail to use guidelines to objectively assess children for overweight. Student nurse practitioners tend to formulate practice decisions based on observations of preceptors’ practices. A study was conducted to assess nurse practitioner students’ clinical implementation of guidelines for the prevention of childhood overweight and to determine barriers to guideline use. Design: Following didactic course introduction of guidelines for the prevention of childhood overweight, a descriptive study was conducted to assess the frequency of family nurse practitioners students’ clinical application of guidelines and to identify barriers to guideline use. Students’ clinical practices occurred in a variety of primary care settings, across the United States, with physicians or nurse practitioners acting as preceptors. Methods: A 28 item survey was administered in an online classroom to determine the extent of guideline implementation and to identify barriers to implementation. Forty-five or ninety percent of those enrolled, voluntarily participated in the study. Narrative comments related to barriers were solicited. Findings: Descriptive statistics were used to describe findings. Childhood overweight prevention guidelines that involved teaching were implemented most often. Guidelines related to objective assessment for childhood overweight were implemented least often. Although students reported having the knowledge needed to implement childhood overweight prevention guidelines, lack of parental, community, and preceptor support were most frequently perceived as barriers to guideline implementation. Conclusion: In the clinical environment, students may perceive a lack of support for practice guidelines use. To increase childhood overweight prevention guidelines use, students may need additional education in the areas of professional communication and motivational interviewing.