Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Commons^™

Implementation Of A Zen Room And Mindfulness Techniques To Decrease Perceived Burnout, Danika Scott

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a Zen room and mindfulness techniques, aiming to improve job satisfaction by 65% and reduce perceived burnout by 10% among behavioral health staff. The project was conducted at a substance abuse center in Deer Park, TX.

Background: Behavioral health staff face high levels of emotional exhaustion and job-related stress, leading to increased burnout.

Methodology: The Plan-Do-Study-Act model guided the QI methodology using a sample of 23 behavioral health staff. Interventions included an equipped Zen space and wellness resources. Data collection utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory and a …

The Impact Of Structured Weekend Group Therapy On Restraints, Seclusion And Length Of Stay On Inpatient Psychiatric Units, Victoria Grau

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Group therapy is an essential part of inpatient psychiatric treatment, with documented positive effects including better medication compliance, lower readmission rate, and improved self- esteem. Patients who are admitted for an inpatient psychiatric stay have a small window of time in which behavioral health staff can work with them. Group therapy can help patients develop a plan for these issues and provide a foundation for successful discharge and symptom management. The project site is a mid-size teaching hospital in an urban community with higher rates of mental health diagnoses than the national average. Group therapy was conducted initially Monday – …

Improving Mental Health Outcomes For Amputees, Zachary Elmore

Dissertations

Problem: depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders are more commonly diagnosed in the amputee population related to changes in mobility, activities of daily living, and quality of life (Turner et al., 2020.) As the amputation population is projected to reach over 3 million Americans in the next 25 years, additional screening is imperative to identify patients at high-risk for mental health deterioration (Ziegler-Graham et al., 2018).

Methods: this was a project that included screening all patients with the Personal Health Questionnaire for Depression (PHQ-8) meeting the inclusion criteria of being admitted to 7500 Vascular Surgery at Barnes-Jewish …

Implementing A Brief Intervention For Smoking Cessation In An Inpatient Psychiatric Facility, Erika Gotway

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Smoking is a leading cause of various preventable diseases, and those who experience mental illness smoke cigarettes at a higher rate than the general population. Brief intervention is a type counseling that has proven successful in encouraging smokers to quit. The “5 A’s” is a type of brief intervention which stands for: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange. Addressing the smoking epidemic among individuals with mental illness is not only essential for improving their overall well-being, but also for reducing health disparities and enhancing the effectiveness of existing mental health interventions.

Methods: The approach to this project was a …

Utilizing A Structured Music Therapy Program For Adolescents With Anxiety And Depression, Amy Haagen

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health issues that affect children and adolescents. It has been noted that twenty percent of adolescents will have a depressive episode or be affected by anxiety by the time they are 18 years old. Mental health issues affecting children and adolescents majorly impact all aspects of their lives, most notably academic success, behavior, growth, and development (Porter et al., 2017). Current treatments for mental disorders, including depression and anxiety, include pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments. In the adolescent population, there are conflicting opinions on the use of antidepressants due to risks …

Clinical Practice Guideline For The Management Of Depression In Primary Care, Estrella Catherine Villarreal

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: The prevalence of depression poses a significant challenge in primary care, emphasizing the urgent need to address this issue during patient visits. Primary care providers are at the forefront of managing depression, yet they encounter difficulties in screening, diagnosing, assessing, and treating this complex condition. Clinical guidelines serve as valuable tools for primary care providers and practices, offering support in identifying and addressing depression effectively. An evidence-based approach to treating depression in primary care, with a focus on collaborative interventions with behavioral health to enhance depression management for American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) communities.

Methods: The descriptive analysis was conducted …

Effects Of Resilience Coaching On Behavioral Health Nurse Burnout, Dalila Franklin

Dissertations

Abstract

Background: Inpatient, staff nurse burnout negatively impacts nurses’ mental and physical health, hospital nurse retention and turnover, and patient care. The Stress First Aid for Health Workers program attempts to bolster resilience and subsequently reduce burnout among mental health nurses in this project.

Method: This quality improvement (QI) project was an observational pre-post survey design and was conducted on a cohort sample of inpatient, behavioral health nurses at an urban, mid-sized, Midwestern hospital psychiatric unit to assess personal, work-related, client-related, and overall burnout utilizing the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) tool to quantitatively measure burnout pre- and three months post-implementation …

Implementation Of Nurse Navigators For Behavioral Health, Theresa Papagna

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Mental health patients have been notoriously non-adherent with diligent medication conformity, office visit fidelity, candor about side effects, use of illegal substances for self-medication, and truthfulness about co-occurring conditions. This non-adherence makes treatment difficult for psychiatric providers, and all those who participate in the care of patients with mental illness. Patient non-adherence can cause frustration and can lead to provider burnout, which affects patients as well as providers. Also, there are concerning financial implications of excessive time and resources needed to adequately monitor mental health patients. Implications regarding 30- day re-admissions are tantamount to consideration of financial strains put on …

Minimizing Workplace Violence By Initiating An Evidence-Based Community Meeting, Olivia Gabrielle Foster

Dissertations

Problem: Workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare has become an epidemic demanding change. WPV is three to four times higher in the healthcare industry compared to other workplaces. For this project, WPV will be defined as any act of physical violence from a patient to a staff member. Community meetings are one evidence-based approach to decreasing WPV in psychiatric inpatient hospitals. Methods: This descriptive observational project compared data before and after implementing a targeted WPV community meeting, including unit rules, staff and patient expectations, a definition of WPV, and medication options available to reduce anxiety and irritability. This project …

Standardizing Nursing Hand-Off Report Using I-Pass On A Behavioral Health Unit: A Quality Improvement Project, Sarah Pennisten

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Deficient or ineffective communication in clinical hand-off has been established by prominent international health organizations as a significant cause of adverse clinical events, compromising clinical safety, an ongoing common problem for healthcare professionals and institutions. Existing literature unanimously called for improvement in hand-off communication to improve patient outcomes and recommended beginning such efforts by building various types of structure into hand-off (McCloughen et al., 2008).

Aim: The aim of this quality improvement project was to improve clinical communication among nurses transferring care of patients in acute psychiatric care.

Methods: Utilizing the Plan, Do, Study, Act framework over a total …

Implementing Telemental Health To Improve Access To Mental Healthcare In Rural Vermont, Julia Mcdougal Ronconi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Mental health access in rural areas is a national problem. Of strategies to increase access, telemental health has the highest level of evidence.

PURPOSE: This project aimed to implement a telemental health program in rural Vermont to: (a) increase the number of rural-dwelling patients who enter treatment for anxiety and depression, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of telemental health for depression, anxiety, and overall functioning, and (c) evaluate patient satisfaction with the accessibility, quality, and affordability of the service.

METHODS: Adult psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, medication management and psychotherapeutic interventions were delivered via telemental health. The service was marketed to Health …

Implementing A Practice Strategy In Primary Care Using An Assessment Tool To Screen For Depression, Donna Snow

Doctoral Projects

Increased efforts are being made to move individuals with co-morbid medical and psychiatric diagnoses toward integrated care. Lack of consistent screening in primary care has caused missed opportunities to identify depression during a routine healthcare provider visit. This project sought to implement a practice strategy in primary care using an assessment tool to screen for depression. Interviews were used to ask patients to answer two questions related to the frequency of depressed mood in the last two weeks. The project was seeking to show by screening patients in primary care for depression, the number of referrals to behavioral health would …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment In Patients Referred By Primary Care, Rebecca Palmer

Dissertations

Problem: Limited access to mental health treatment is one of many potential barriers to treating mental illness in the United States. Where resources are readily available, reportedly high no-show rates for established mental health appointments suggests further investigation is necessary to identify frequent barriers within that population. This was a quality improvement project to identify common themes in patient-reported barriers to care.

Methods: A 4-question phone survey was offered to individuals that did not appear at their mental health appointment. Data was analyzed to identify the most commonly reported barriers to mental health treatment. Additional data collected includes reported history …

Evaluation Of A Youth Emergency Room Enhancement Program For Behavioral Health, Anne Thatcher

Dissertations

Problem. Pediatric mental health complaints and subsequent hospitalizations have been steadily increasing. The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) developed an intensive outreach case management program aimed at reducing youth mental health emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient psychiatric admissions. The Youth Emergency Room Enhancement (YERE) program was a process improvement initiative to provide immediate case management to youth and caregivers for mental health care.

Methods. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method utilizing a retrospective case record review occurred over a six-month period. A convenience sample of youth aged 6-20 years presenting to one of eight healthcare facilities for either ED or inpatient hospitalization …

A Common Goal: Primary Care And Psychiatry Improve Depression Detection And Outcomes, Katherine Kilkenny

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects over 15 million (6.7%) adult Americans. While one in four primary care patients suffer from depressive symptoms, MDD is accurately diagnosed as little as 25% of the time.

Purpose: Implementation of an evidence-based protocol outlining the process for screening, behavioral health referral, and the role of a collaborative care team would improve detection and treatment of adult MDD patients in the ambulatory setting.

Process: A systematic Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) based screening protocol was implemented. Every new and existing patient completed the PHQ-9 during scheduled primary care appointments. If a patient scored 15 or …

Primary Care "Catches" Up With Behavioral Health, Michael Hannes Thorarinson

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

The problems caused by the lack of care coordination between primary care and behavioral health are well documented. Patients with uncontrolled mental health issues along with chronic health problems cost two to three times the health care dollars to manage than patients who have the same chronic health problems but without uncontrolled mental health issues. Despite this, in rural North Carolina, the de facto level of care coordination is none. Mental health and primary care are completely separate, distinct systems that do not routinely communicate. One of the identified barriers to care coordination is the lack of reimbursement for the …