Program

Physician Assistant M.S.

Year Approved

2019

First Advisor

Naser, Lisa

Abstract

With any chronic illness, there may be difficulties that arise such as symptom control, medical management, and resource and support availability. In addition, pediatric populations may require more complex care due to the child’s continuing development, the need for family involvement, and the eventual transition into adult healthcare. With that, the purpose of the community service project was to provide education and support for families living with pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD), a chronic illness that affects children worldwide. By working with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), the research team was able to build an educational track for the pediatric population at the NKF serving Minnesota’s annual educational conference and create handouts to assist participants in caring for the child with pediatric CKD. The research team and the NKF serving Minnesota identified the organization’s needs, which included resources and education for the organization’s pediatric population. After an extensive literature review and interviews with healthcare professionals in the pediatric CKD specialty, the research team developed a needs assessment to determine what material and information would be most beneficial to provide for families with pediatric CKD. Furthermore, the research team created four sessions for the participants to attend, which included kidney basics, kidney health and nutrition, transitional care from pediatric to adult care, and a networking session. In addition to organizing the entire pediatric track, the research team created educational handouts for the participants to utilize and bring home to implement daily. The handouts included information such as the functions of kidneys, nutritional guidance and kidney-friendly recipes, transitional care tips and medical organizational tables, and a list of support resources for families. Upon completion of the conference, the research team provided a survey to the participants to determine if the information beneficial and practical for daily use. The NKF serving Minnesota was provided access to all handouts and materials provided at each of the sessions so the pediatric track can be further implemented at future educational conferences. The NKF also plans to post the handouts to their national website for families across the nation to access and utilize as additional resources.

Degree Name

Masters of Science in Physician Assistant

Document Type

Masterʼs thesis

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Primary Care Commons

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