A neighborhood-centered clinical project: improving diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes in Hispanic women.

Neighborhood-centered disease prevention programs have become a growing means of introducing baccalaureate nursing students to health care systems. This article reports diabetes and cardiovascular clinical outcomes and health behavior changes made following a 2-year baccalaureate community/public health clinical project and partnership with an urban Hispanic neighborhood. This pilot study used a pretest-posttest design without comparators. The healthy lifestyle consisted of health coaching, physical activity, and lifestyle modification. Thirty-eight women completed the 12-week program. Results revealed significant reductions in diabetes and cardiovascular total risk scores, glycated hemoglobin, body mass index, and physical activity (α = 0.05). Students gained learning opportunities in research and public health competencies, while providing clinical practice, research, and scholarship opportunities for nurse educators. Insights from these programs can help faculty, students, and communities identify new approaches that are consistent with the National Prevention Strategy and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to improve diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes among Hispanic women.