Date of Award
12-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Committee Chair
Dr. Lila de Tantillo
Committee Chair School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Committee Member 2
Dr. Lakenya Forthner
Committee Member 2 School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Abstract
This doctoral project stemmed from clinical observations of the side effects of GLP-1 medications. When patients reported side effects and were questioned about what they had been eating, some reported fast food and processed foods, and had made no diet changes. Whether they had not been given instructions, or had forgotten them, or simply did not realize the importance of a proper diet. The researcher began to see what clinical guidelines could be found regarding GLP-1 medications. An article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine provided clinical recommendations for managing gastrointestinal adverse events in patients taking GLP-1 medications. It was a great resource with educational handouts (Gorgojo-Martinez et al., 2022).
A plan was created to provide this education, complete nutritional screening, and follow the patients weekly for four weeks to assess any side effects they experienced and determine whether diet education helped prevent, improve, or worsen them. A final nutrition screening was needed to be implemented at the end of the fourth week to assess whether the patients' diets had improved after four weeks. Although the side effects did not show improvement, the patients reported that the patients reported the diet education helpful and the diet did improve the side effects. The nutrition screenings also showed improvement in the participants' diet over the four weeks. The overall conclusion is that patient education and developing a rapport with patients will always be beneficial. It is a core theory in nursing, which should be at the forefront of our minds as healthcare providers.
Copyright
Christy Fontes, 2025
Recommended Citation
Fontes, Christy, "Interventions to Improve the Side Effects of GLP-1 Medications" (2025). Doctoral Projects. 284.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dnp_capstone/284