Publication Date
Spring 2026
Degree Type
Doctoral Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Denise Dawkins
Keywords
Congestive heart failure, Outpatient setting, Self-management, Health literacy
Abstract
Heart failure is a leading cause of morbidity and hospital readmissions, with limited health literacy contributing to poor self‑management and adherence challenges. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a nurse‑led, virtual education-intervention designed to improve health literacy, self‑care behaviors, and medication adherence among adults with chronic heart failure who participate in an outpatient support group. A quality improvement design was used. Convenience sampling yielded nine adult participants with a documented diagnosis of chronic heart failure who attended at least one virtual support group session. The intervention consisted of two 30‑minute nurse‑led educational sessions focused on medication management, symptom recognition, diet, and self‑care strategies, delivered during scheduled support group meetings. Health literacy, self‑care, and medication adherence were assessed using shortened versions of validated instruments administered at baseline and 30 days post‑intervention. Seven participants completed post‑intervention surveys. Findings demonstrated improvements in perceived health literacy, confidence in self‑management, and helpfulness of medication and self‑care education. Participants reported a high perceived value of nurse‑led education and increased confidence in managing heart failure symptoms. No heart failure-related hospitalizations were reported during the follow‑up period. This project supports the feasibility of nurse‑led, virtual education embedded within outpatient support groups to enhance self‑management and health literacy in adults with heart failure. Such interventions may represent a scalable approach to improving chronic disease management and supporting outpatient heart failure care.
Recommended Citation
Osunde, Vivian Efosa, "Improving Health Literacy and Self-Management in Adults with Heart Failure: A Nurse-Led Virtual Intervention in Outpatient Support Groups" (2026). Doctoral Projects. 217.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.7y5f-pseh
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_doctoral/217
