Menopause Education for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to incorporate a 2.5-hour educational intervention for undergraduate nursing students with emphasis on the physiology, expected symptoms, and treatment options for patients experiencing the menopausal transition. The focus was on knowledge acquisition and self-efficacy of nursing students providing health promotion education for patients experiencing the menopausal transition. Background: Many women experiencing the menopausal transition are concerned by their symptoms and either worry in silence, seek non-evidence-based interventions available on the internet, or seek advice from healthcare providers for normal symptomatology, resulting in unnecessary healthcare costs for a normal life transition. Nurses are poised to provide education to this population as they interact with them in various settings, thus alleviating the concern and providing health promotion information. Methods: A 2.5-hour educational intervention was planned for undergraduate nursing students during their obstetric nursing course including content on the normal menopausal transition physiology, expected symptoms, and health promoting interventions. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted for knowledge acquisition and self-efficacy using questions created by the author and reviewed by nursing research experts. Results: Twenty-seven students consented to and completed both the pre- and post-intervention surveys. Mean knowledge about the menopausal transition increased by 38% in the post-intervention surveys as compared with the pre-intervention knowledge, based on a 5-question survey (3.39 versus 4.68 points out of 5) with the mean approaching 100% (t(26) = -5.79, p<0.01). Pre- and post-intervention confidence improved from 29.41 to 70.41 respectively using the Wilcoxson Signed Rank Test (z = -4.54, p<0.01) (Social Science Statistics, 2018). The perception of difficulty educating patients pre- and post-intervention decreased from 50.04 to 34.15, respectively, in a paired t-test (t(26) = 2.47, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Pre-licensure nursing students demonstrated an improved sense of self-efficacy related to providing menopause education to future patients and loved ones after receiving education on the menopause transition. This education relates to an important life stage that affects many people that nurses will serve during their careers. It should therefore be included in nursing curricula.