FNP Clinical Practice Toolkit
This Library Research Guide is intended to help identify and locate scholarly and evidence-based resources (books, articles, credible websites etc.) on clinical nursing practices. Health data, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, physical assessment,
Women's Health Resources
Family Planning
- CycleBeads This link opens in a new windowA cycle-tracking tool for preventing or planning pregnancy naturally based on the Standard Days Method of family planning,
- Effectiveness of Birth Control Methods This link opens in a new windowInfographic from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ranking birth control from the most effective methods at the top to least effective methods at the bottom.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Centering Pregnancy This link opens in a new windowProgram from the Centering Healthcare Institute which brings 8 to 12 pregnant women who are due around the same time together for prenatal care.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) This link opens in a new windowLactMed is a database provided by the National Institutes of Health which contains information on drugs and other chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. It includes information on the levels of such substances in breast milk and infant blood, and the possible adverse effects in the nursing infant. Suggested therapeutic alternatives to those drugs are provided, where appropriate. All data are derived from the scientific literature and fully referenced. A peer review panel reviews the data to assure scientific validity and currency.
- California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative This link opens in a new windowThe California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder organization committed to ending preventable morbidity, mortality and racial disparities in California maternity care. CMQCC uses research, quality improvement toolkits, state-wide outreach collaboratives and its innovative Maternal Data Center to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants.
- Mother to BabyMotherToBaby, a service of the non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), is the nation’s leading authority and most trusted source of evidence-based information on the benefit or risk of medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. We specialize in answering questions about the benefit/risk of exposures, such as medications, vaccines, chemicals, herbal products, substances of abuse, maternal health conditions and much more, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Group B Strep (GBS) Prevention
Group B Streptococcus (group B strep, GBS) are bacteria that come and go naturally in the body. Most of the time the bacteria are not harmful, but they can cause serious illness in people of all ages. In fact, group B strep disease is a common cause of severe infection in newborns. While GBS disease can be deadly, there are steps pregnant women can take to help protect their babies.
- Prevention of Group B Streptococcal Early-Onset Disease in Newborns This link opens in a new windowThis committee opinion endorsed by ACOG, ACNM, SMFM, and AWHONN presents key components of screening and prophylaxis for Group B streptococcal (GBS) early-onset neonatal disease.
Mobile Resources
Prevent Group B Strep App (CDC)
This is the Prevent Group B Strep App created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).
With this application, you can:
- Obtain customized, evidence-based recommendations to prevent neonatal GBS disease based on a maternal and neonatal clinical information.
- Obtain optimal antibiotic recommendations for GBS prevention
Menopause and Hormone Therapy
- The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Position Statements This link opens in a new windowPosition statements and other reports by the North American Menopause Society about clinical issues pertinent to women at midlife and beyond drawn from the Society's journal Menopause
- Bioidentical Hormone Therapy This link opens in a new windowClinical practice material on bioidentical hormone therapy provided by the North American Menopause Society.
Health Data
- Agency for Healthcare Resarch and Quality (AHRQ) This link opens in a new windowThe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of healthcare for all Americans. AHRQ develops the knowledge, tools, and data needed to improve the healthcare system and help consumers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers make informed health decisions.
- Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare This link opens in a new windowBased at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, the Dartmouth Atlas Project documents glaring variations in how medical resources are distributed and used in the United States. The project uses Medicare and Medicaid data to provide information and analysis about national, regional, and local markets, as well as hospitals and their affiliated physicians.
- PeriStats This link opens in a new windowPeriStats is the online source for perinatal statistics developed by the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center. PeriStats provides free access to maternal and infant health-related data at the US, state, county, and city level. It was developed to ensure that health professionals, researchers, medical librarians, policy-makers, students, and the media have easy access to this information. Data are updated throughout the year, and useful for multiple tasks, including fact-finding, health assessments, grant writing, policy development, lectures and presentations.
Patient Resources
- Choosing Wisely This link opens in a new windowChoosing Wisely is an initiative of the ABIM Foundation that seeks to advance a national dialogue on avoiding unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures. It promotes conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is supported by evidence, not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received, free from harm, and truly necessary. The tool provides guidelines, recommendations, patient information, and handouts. It can be accessed through its website or mobile app.
- HealthyWomen This link opens in a new windowHealthyWomen is an American non-profit organization which seeks to provide women with in-depth, medical-organization-sanctioned information on issues important to women's health and to increase awareness of those issues through education and advocacy.
Pediatric
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program This link opens in a new windowThe Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) course conveys an evidence-based approach to care of the newborn at birth and facilitates effective team-based care for healthcare professionals who care for newborns at the time of delivery. NRP utilizes a blended learning approach, which includes online testing and hands-on case-based simulation/debriefing that focus on critical leadership, communication, and team-work skills.
Sexually Transmitted Infections and Diseases
- CDC's Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Treatment Guidelines This link opens in a new windowCDC’s Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Treatment Guidelines, 2021 provides current evidence-based prevention, diagnostic and treatment recommendations that replace the 2015 guidance. The recommendations are intended to be a source for clinical guidance. Healthcare providers should always assess patients based on their clinical circumstances and local burden.
- National STD Curriculum This link opens in a new windowA free educational website from the University of Washington STD Prevention Training Center. Includes training sites and activities for clinicians.
Cervical Screening and Pathology
- American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) This link opens in a new windowThe American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) is a professional society dedicated to promoting education and research in the fields of colposcopy and the study of the characteristics, causes, and effects of diseases and disorders (pathology) of the vagina, the vulva, and the neck of the uterus (cervix). They provide risk-based management consensus guidelines for abnormal cervical cancer screening tests and cancer precursors and access to continuing education and training.
- International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (IFCPC) This link opens in a new windowThe IFCPC reduces the burden of cervical cancer worldwide through the stimulation of both basic and applied research, diffusion of knowledge surrounding appropriate fields, and standardization of terminology in the field of cervical pathology. They provide training opportunities and links to clinical practice guidelines.
Breast Cancer
- American Cancer Society: Recommendations for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer This link opens in a new wBreast cancer screening guidelines for healthcare professionals provided by the American Cancer Society.