Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is no longer and infection confined to a hospital setting. The epidemiology of MRSA is now changing and appearing in healthy community-dwelling individuals with no risk factors for the acquisition of MRSA. This is known as community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, one of the “super-bugs.” Education of the providers and the community is a key factor in helping to slow or prevent the spread and transmission of CA-MRSA. Beam and Buckley stated that the absence of proper education and preventative guidelines are perhaps contributing to CA-MRSA. Additional studies looking at educational interventions on CA-MRSA awareness and knowledge are needed to identify if these educational interventions increase preventative practices by providers and help decrease CA-MRSA occurrences and transmissions. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to identify the level of awareness of CA-MRSA among providers in South Central Mississippi before and after a teaching intervention on CA-MRSA. The intent was to determine whether there was an increase in the awareness of the providers and an increase in the CA-MRSA preventative educational practices. Goal: The goal of this project was to successfully implement a CA-MRSA PowerPoint teaching intervention and measure differences between pretest and posttest surveys. Objectives: Project objectives included to describe aggregate demographic characteristics of the providers in rural South Central Mississippi, to describe pre-intervention CA-MRSA awareness for providers in rural South Central Mississippi, to describe post-intervention CA-MRSA awareness for providers in rural South Central Mississippi, to measure and describe the changes in CA-MRSA awareness before and after a CA-MRSA teaching intervention, and to determine and describe if providers’ exhibit increased CA-MRSA preventative educational practices following the CA-MRSA teaching intervention. Plan: Phase one of the planning phases for this project involved a literature review/needs assessment using a published evidence-based critique template. Phase two included securing an instrument for measurement along with developing a researcher prepared tool. IRB approval was obtained in phase three from RMUoHP followed by implementation of the pilot for validity and reliability of the researcher prepared tool. Implementation of the capstone project and collection of data then followed. Phase four involved evaluation of intervention. Outcomes and Results: A total of thirty providers completed the online pretest, posttest survey and teaching intervention. There were significant increases in posttest survey data. This project may provide the foundation for futher provider-based interventional studies, development of nationwide policies for emphasis to providers for increased CA-MRSA awareness, knowledge, and increased preventative practices. Thus, with increased CA-MRSA preventative instruction from the providers to patients and community, there will be a decrease or prevention in the further spread of CA-MRSA transmissions and occurences.
