DNP Scholarly Projects
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND: People with skin of color face worse health outcomes than their light-skinned peers. According to the literature, graduate nursing programs lack skin tone inclusive curricular content (Shue-McGuffin & Powers, 2022). This contributes to disproportionate racial and ethnic health disparities. Skin tone inclusive online dermatology modules have been shown to improve diagnostic accuracy and self-confidence among medical students and residents in primary care specialties (Trinh et al., 2021; Salava & Salmela, 2022; Wang et al., 2020). Similar models may be an effective approach for graduate nursing students as they prepare to evaluate skin disease across the skin tone spectrum.
METHODS: This quality improvement project utilized a mixed methods convergent design using quantitative pre- and post-surveys and qualitative descriptive methodology. Participants were graduate nursing students (N = 24) enrolled in a graduate nursing program with an Advanced Practice/Family Nurse Practitioner concentration. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model for continuous improvement was applied for two cycles.
INTERVENTION: In PDSA cycle one, 10 student participants took a baseline diagnostic accuracy pretest and baseline self-confidence survey, completed LearnDerm by VisualDx, viewed a 75–90-minute curated web-based lecture using VisualDx-provided imagery, and took a diagnostic accuracy posttest and a post-intervention self-confidence survey. In PDSA cycle two, 14 different student participants took a baseline diagnostic accuracy pretest and baseline self-confidence survey, reviewed VisualDx’s LearnDerm Companion, viewed three 20-minute curated web-based lectures using VisualDx-provided imagery, and took a diagnostic accuracy posttest and a post-intervention self-confidence survey.
RESULTS: In the posttests, PDSA cycle one revealed a 7% decrease in mean diagnostic accuracy and 25% increase in trimmed mean diagnostic self-confidence. Statistical significance was demonstrated in PDSA cycle two with a 29% overall increase in mean diagnostic accuracy and 61% increase in trimmed mean diagnostic self-confidence.
CONCLUSION: Skin tone inclusive online dermatology modules may be an effective way to improve diagnostic accuracy and self-confidence in evaluating skin disease amongst graduate nursing students. Implications for graduate nursing education include improved knowledge of skin disease, including diagnostic distinctions of diverse skin tones. Broadly, skin tone inclusive education supports diverse and equitable patient care, improves health outcomes as a result, reduces disparities for individuals with skin of color, and may inspire interest in related quality improvement projects.
Date
Spring 4-9-2024
First Advisor
Dr. Laura Gray
Scholarly Project Team Member
Dr. Laura Gray
Scholarly Project Team Member
Dr. David Phillippi
Scholarly Project Team Member
Dr. Jeannie Giese
Department
Nursing, School of
College
Health Sciences & Nursing, Gordon E. Inman College of
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree
Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Degree Level
Doctoral
Degree Grantor
Belmont University
Keywords
skin of color, dermatology, education, nurse practitioner, graduate nursing, disparities
Recommended Citation
Bourne, Kaylyn and Gray, Laura, "The Effect of Skin Tone Inclusive Dermatology Education on Diagnostic Accuracy and Self-Confidence in Graduate Nursing Students" (2024). DNP Scholarly Projects. 88.
https://repository.belmont.edu/dnpscholarlyprojects/88
