Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Major

Nursing

Date of Defense

7-15-2025

Graduate Advisor

Dr. Sarah Burnett

Committee

Dr. Sarah Burnett, DNP, APRN, PNP-AC/PC

Jinnie Tkach, DNP, APRN, PNP-AC

Shawn Reathaford, M.D.

Abstract

Abstract for:

Screen Foundations: How Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Can Implement ‘Family Media Use Plans’ in Primary Care to Reduce Pediatric Behavior Concerns

Problem: Parents of children 2-5 years-old increasingly reach out to PCPs for escalating behavior concerns, including when the child doesn’t listen well, is inattentive, having tantrums, meltdowns, hitting, yelling, etc. Referrals to psychiatry and/or play therapy result in long waits, or referrals not accepted. Coincidingly, toddler and preschool aged children continue to exceed daily screen time recommendations. This results in a gap of care for families with young children and externalizing behavior.

Methods: This quality improvement project addressed clinical practice with a longitudinal design. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a screen usage questionnaire were utilized pre/post intervention to assess changes in behavior and average daily screen usage following a 30-day implementation of an American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Media Plan for children ages 2-5 years-old.

Results: Five families participated in this project. A statistically insignificant decrease in SDQ scores from 7.3 to 7.0 was found. Secondarily, following the 30-day intervention, the average daily screen time for participants decreased from 2 hours 25 minutes, to 1 hour 50 minutes.

Implication for Practice: Helping families to create a Family Media Plan as a way to address behavior concerns is evidenced based and free, without having long wait times for psychiatry or play therapy. Family Media Plans may be a good option if a provider is concerned about excessive behavior in a young child and psychiatry is not a feasible option.

Download

Share

COinS