Defense Date

7-17-2025

Graduation Date

Summer 8-8-2025

Submission Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

School

School of Nursing

Faculty Mentor

Mary C. Loughran

Committee Member

Kathi Elliott

Keywords

Puberty, menstruation, female adolescents, educators, puberty curriculum, knowledge, confidence, comfort

Abstract

Background & Significance: Adolescent girls in the United States (U.S.) often lack adequate education and support regarding puberty and menstruation, despite the importance of this knowledge for healthy development (Schmitt et al., 2022). Only 21% of school systems serving ages 8–12 provide puberty education, and many educators feel unprepared to teach it (Schmitt et al., 2022). Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to equip youth development specialists (YDS) at a community organization with a structured curriculum and educational tools to confidently educate adolescent females (ages 8–13) on the physical, emotional, and social aspects of puberty and menstruation. Intervention: A four-day training session on puberty and menstruation, and a train-the-trainer model was conducted for the YDSs. This was followed by a three-day lesson plan on puberty and menstruation presented by the YDSs for 16 girls, utilizing a train-the-trainer model. Results: The YDS’s knowledge on puberty and menstruation increased from 29% to 46%, with 85% of participants expressing greater confidence in teaching about these topics. Among the adolescent females, 88% reported an improvement in knowledge and confidence in managing bodily changes and menstruation, which highlights the program’s success in enhancing outcomes for both YDSs and adolescent female participants. Conclusion and Implications: Training YDS staff using a "train-the-trainer" model grounded in adult learning theory (Andragogy) can support their engagement, knowledge, and confidence in educating adolescent females about puberty and menstruation. With expert support, YDSs can be better prepared to teach puberty and menstruation, benefiting adolescent females by improving their understanding of the physical, emotional, and social changes in a supportive environment.

Language

English

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