Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Committee Chair
Darlene Showalter
Committee Member
Julia Icard
Subject(s)
Papillomaviruses--Vaccination, Vaccine hesitancy, Patient education
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) remains one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide and is associated with many genital tract and head and neck cancers, particularly cervical cancer. Despite the proven efficacy of the HPV vaccine, national vaccination rates remain well below the Healthy People 2030 target of 80%. A women’s clinic in NC showed inconsistencies in screening and documentation of HPV vaccine status without a structured workflow to promote provider recommendations and uptake of the vaccine. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to implement a stepwise, multicomponent protocol to increase the HPV vaccination uptake in female patients aged 18–45. The project was a quality improvement project utilizing Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to track progress throughout the implementation period. A pre/post-test assessment was utilized to assess the knowledge and readiness of 32 staff members. Pre-test scores ranged from 30-90% with a mean of 63.4%, scores for the post-tests ranged from 69-100% with a mean of 90.5%. Patients were screened for vaccine status, a vaccine hesitancy survey was offered, digital patient education tools were utilized to promote understanding, and standardized HPV counseling scripts were used by providers based on hesitancy scores. All (100%) patients who met eligibility criteria for this project were screened for vaccination status (N=872). One hundred and fifty (17%) reported previous vaccination at the time of their appointment, and 722 (83%) were unvaccinated. The 529 (73%) unvaccinated women were offered the protocol, and 225/722 participated (31%). Thirty-four women agreed to receive the HPV vaccine (15%). Though the vaccination rate during a comparable period prior to project implementation is unknown, an established baseline now exists for future comparison of vaccination uptake in the clinic.
Recommended Citation
Golub, Tiffany, "Increasing HPV vaccination uptake : a quality improvement project" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). 160.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-dnp/160