141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

277193
Nurse practitioners and male reproductive health in Virginia: Are healthy people 2020 objectives being addressed?

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Barbara Walsh, DNP, MPH, RN, PHCNS-BC , College of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Kathie Zimbro, PhD, RN , College of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Nancy Keohane, RNC, OGNP , Division of Child and Family Health, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, VA
Although the Healthy People initiative began in 1979, Healthy People 2020 if the first to contain multiple objectives related to male reproductive health (MRH) for ages 15-44 years with operational definitions, baseline data and target measures. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are crucial providers for reproductive health services yet it is unknown if they are meeting these Healthy People 2020 objectives. Obstacles to implementing and providing MRH by NPs in Virginia are also unknown. There were two purposes to this nonexperimental descriptive prospective study with cross sectional data collection: to determine if nurse practitioners in Virginia are providing male reproductive health to meet Healthy People 2020 objectives and to explore potential obstacles as perceived by nurse practitioners in implementing and providing male reproductive health in their practice. Both purposes examined NP age, gender, race, years in practice, credentialing, work setting, and geographic setting (rural, urban or suburban). Data was obtained by an anonymous questionnaire. Implications include awareness of MRH objectives by NPs and increased attention to obstacles affecting the delivery of appropriate MRH services. Not only will males receiving care have potential for improved health but female reproductive health, pregnancy outcomes, the number of intended pregnancies and communicable disease may be impacted. This will have a positive socioeconomic effect not only on individuals but families, communities and the state as a whole.

Learning Areas:
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the extent of Healthy People 2020 male reproductive health objectives being addressed in Virginia by nurse practitioners. Compare provision of Healthy People 2020 male reproductive health services by nurse practitioners in adults versus adolescents. List three of the most common obstacles encountered by nurse practitioners in implementing/providing male reproductive health services.

Keywords: Male Reproductive Health, Nurse Practitioners

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: This submission is based on my Doctor of Nursing Practice capstone project. The responsible investigator, Carolyn Rutledge, PHD, RN along with my adviser, Dr. Zimbro, have guided me through this IRB approved research. I am also board certified in community/public health nursing, have taught undergraduate community health nursing and have worked in public health, primarily maternal child health. My primary interest is improving maternal and infant outcomes by providing appropriate male reproductive health care.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.