Short Research Paper

Short Research Paper

Select a Problem

One of the problems existing is the pregnancy rate of the adolescent females. One of the objectives of the Healthy People 2010 is to reduce pregnancies among adolescent females.

Assess the Magnitude of the Problem

After rising steadily from 1987 to 1991, the birth-rate for teens aged 15-19 declined for 10 straight years, from a high of 62.1 per 1,000 teens aged 15-19 in 1991 to a record low of 45.9 in 2001, according to preliminary figures. The birth-rate for young adolescents aged 15-17 fell 8 percent from 2000 to 2001, reaching 25.3 births per 1,000 adolescents. All 50 states had a decline in their teen birth-rates between 1991 and 2000, with 10 states recording declines of more than 20 percent during this period. Recent declines in both birth and abortion rates indicate that teen pregnancy rates are continuing to fall. Overall teen pregnancy rates have dropped 19 percent since 1991. About 900,000 pregnancies occur each year among American adolescents aged 15-19. Most of these pregnancies are unintended. Almost 190,000 teens aged 17 and younger have children. Their babies are often of low birth-weight and have disproportionately high infant mortality rates. They are also far more likely to be poor. (National Association of School Nurses & American Nurses Association, 2005)

In 2004, teens accounted for about 11 percent of all the pregnancies among U.S. women, about 10 percent of the births, and just under 10 percent of the abortions. In the United States in 2004, there were 72.2 pregnancies per 1,000 women ages 15 through 19, including 1.6 per 1,000 teens under age 15; 41.5 per 1,000 teens ages 15 through 17; and 118.6 per 1,000 teens ages 18 and 19.2. (National Association of School Nurses & American Nurses Association, 2005)

List the Stakeholders or Partners

The process of developing a logic model should begin by bringing all key stakeholders together to share an understanding of the proposed program. Key stakeholders may include school nurses, school administrators, parents, and community leaders. Often a school health advisory board may be appointed and would serve as the key stakeholders. The exercise of creating a logic model will help to build consensus. A logic model is dynamic and will change as the program changes. Much of its value is in the process of creating it, checking it, and modifying it. The stakeholders take part in an iterative process of working together to clarify underlying assumptions, expectations, and the conditions under which success is most likely to occur.

Review the Evidence for a Program Intervention

Adolescent pregnancy and the subsequent social morbidities associated with unintended pregnancies are complex issues facing school nurses in their daily work. School nurses can play a vital role in school-based pregnancy prevention programs, including identifying trends, reviewing curriculum needs, selecting evidence-based practice models, and evaluating the outcomes of programs (Hoyt & Broom, 2002).

School Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (National Association of School Nurses & American Nurses Association, 2005) states that school nurses should systematically evaluate the quality and effectiveness ...