Abstract

Preventative measures taken by women of childbearing age before and during conception limit the risk of fetal defects or complications. One specific measure that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is that all women of childbearing age take folic acid 400 mcg daily. Evidence-based research suggests that taking 400 mcg daily limits the risk of fetal neural tube defects if taken daily and started at least two months before conception. Fetal neural tube defects are classified as defects that damage the baby's spine and brain. The researcher conducted an evidence-based practice project that sought to determine if an educational session regarding folic acid indications and use increased the self-efficacy of college-age women of childbearing age to use folic acid. The evidence-based project was conducted as a quasi-experimental study and involved undergraduate nursing students at a local community college in West Texas who had completed semester one to three of their program. Leaders of the nursing program agreed that their nursing students would benefit from folic acid education so they could then educate patients on it as well.

Author Details

Kristie Buchanan, DNP, MSN, RN

Sigma Membership

Delta Alpha at-Large

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quasi-Experimental Study, Other

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Folic Acid, Neural Tube Defects, Pender's Health Promotion Model

Advisor

Cheryl Green

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Abilene Christian University

Degree Year

2024

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2024-03-29

Full Text of Presentation

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