Abstract
Early identification and treatment of children with dyslipidemia reduces their risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) as adults (Ferranti & Newburger, 2016). In 2011, the National Heart, Lung and Blood institute (NHLBI) issued new guidelines to address cardiovascular health in the pediatric population. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed these guidelines and urged providers to follow these recommendations during routine well-child visits. Evidence shows that pediatric primary care providers are unaware of these new recommendations or lack adherence to the most recent lipid screening guidelines (Valle, Binns, Quadri-Sheriff, Benuck & Patel, 2015).|In order to bridge the gap between the current NHLBI guidelines and its implementation into clinical practice, an on-line educational module was offered to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). Pre/post surveys were administered to determine APRNs’ knowledge of the guidelines and their use during clinical practice. Pre-survey results indicated that 42% of participants were not aware of the newest NHLBI guidelines. Following the educational module, 93% of participants indicated they felt more comfortable screening for lipid disorders in the pediatric population and would encourage their colleagues to review the newest guidelines. Furthermore, 73% of participants felt as if they could change the current lipid screening practices in their clinic.