Nursing Commons^™

Staff Education To Reduce Relapse Rates Among Individuals With Substance Use Disorders, Joyce Chioma Nwakor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The program created a more encouraging recovery environment by greatly increasing staff competency in relapse prevention. Staff reported having more conversations with patients about preventing relapses. These enhancements might result in lower relapse rates and better long-term recovery outcomes.

Monitoring And Managing Side Effects Of Hydroxyurea: Mucositis, Cytopenia And Fatigue, Sharon Mattox

APRN Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Primary Care Providers’ Knowledge And Confidence In Utilizing The Phq-9 For Routine Mental Health Screenings, Debra Ann Stewart-Delancy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary The ineffective use of the PHQ-9 tool to assess depression during primary care was the problem that this quality improvement project aimed to resolve, which is a hindrance to timely diagnosis and equitable behavioral health care. Inconsistent use of screening of depression was tackled in the project. The treatment and detection of it at its early stages were constrained by gaps in provider knowledge and confidence. The project assessed the effect of a formal staff educational intervention to increase knowledge, confidence, and the probability of incorporating the PHQ-9 depression screening tool into the workflow of a primary care clinic. …

Patient Safety In Ambulatory Hysteroscopy, Myko Lanier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

NA

Improving Retention Of Newly Hired Nurses In Home Care, Chidi D. Ihezue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the home care setting, there is an increasing need for home care services due to aging populations and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, as well as a scarcity of qualified home care staff to meet the health needs of patients in this setting. A home care agency's onboarding program, particularly its capacity to deliver comprehensive orientation and robust mentoring for new nurses, plays a crucial role in supporting the retention of newly employed nursing staff within the home care environment. Research indicates that without ongoing support and close monitoring, newly hired nurses may disengage during the onboarding and …

Stress First Aid Implementation To Address Stress Among Acute Care Nurses, Obioma Maryann Asiegbu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Acute care nurses face persistent occupational stress that contributes to burnout, anxiety, depression, and high turnover rates within healthcare systems. The Stress First Aid (SFA) framework offers a proactive, evidence-based approach to identifying and managing psychological distress among healthcare workers. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to implement and evaluate the SFA program as a structured, early-intervention model to improve nurse well-being, retention, and patient care outcomes in an acute care setting. Guided by the Stress Continuum Model and organizational change theory, this project emphasized early recognition of stress, peer support mechanisms, and continuous outcome monitoring. …

Assessing The Role Of Social Media As A Complementary Source In Pharmacovigilance: Insights From Faers, X (Formerly Twitter), And Askapatient Data Across Multiple Drug Classes, Nwanneka Okere

Dissertations

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) pose significant public health challenges yet remain substantially underreported in traditional pharmacovigilance systems. Social media platforms and patient-reported outcome forums have emerged as potential complementary sources for capturing real-time patient experiences with medications, but their integration with established surveillance systems remains underexplored.

Purpose: This study examined ADR reporting patterns across FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), X (formerly Twitter), and Askapatient to evaluate whether patient-generated digital data can complement traditional pharmacovigilance systems for enhanced drug safety monitoring.

Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design analyzed 107,753 reports representing 289,740 individual ADR occurrences for …

Improving Healthcare Providers’ Knowledge On Heart Failure Self-Care Management, Linda Nkeiruka Ukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

N/A

Implementing A System- Wide Program To Reduce Burnout Among Healthcare Providers, Caroline Njeri Munene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project addresses the pervasive health issue of burnout among healthcare providers, focusing on a community mental health clinic where internal data revealed high levels of staff turnover, absenteeism, medication errors, financial constraints, poor patient outcomes, and low staff satisfaction. Shortage of healthcare providers, exposure to patient trauma, high emotional demands, and administrative burdens are the systemic stressors of burnout at the project site mental health facility. These factors collectively underscored the need for a system-wide burnout reduction program to safeguard provider well-being and ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care and safety.

Staff Education To Improve Staff Knowledge On Self-Care Management Of Hypertension, Zainab Kebbie Turay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary This DNP staff education project focused on improving staff knowledge on self-care management of hypertension. The overarching patient care problem at the project site was uncontrolled hypertension among adult patients with lack of staff knowledge and confidence in delivering related patient education. Addressing uncontrolled hypertension is vital within nursing practice due to its impact on public health and the opportunity for a nurse-led evidence-based intervention to improve patient outcomes. The practice-focused question for this project was: “In adults with uncontrolled hypertension, does staff education program on hypertension self-care management improve staff knowledge on how to educate patients on self-care …

Evaluating The Compliance Of A Patient-Centered Daily Care Plan In An Acute Care Setting, Abigale Tzu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement evaluation project addressed inconsistent use of the Patient-Centered Daily Care Plan at a local acute care hospital. The problem was a gap in compliance with California Title 22 requirements, creating risk for survey deficiencies and limiting interdisciplinary communication. The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether the revised daily care plan improved individualized documentation and organizational compliance. De-identified aggregate data from pre-implementation (August–October 2023) and post-implementation (June–August 2024) periods were analyzed descriptively. Results showed a meaningful improvement in checklist completion, with compliance increasing from 94.8% to 97.3%. These findings demonstrated stronger …

Executive Summary: Quality Improvement Initiative Enhancing Early Identification Of Adolescent Depression And Anxiety, Delphine Sirri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Universal staff training to increase the validity and reliability of adolescent mental health screening was implemented in this quality improvement (QI) initiative. Depression and anxiety disorders often emerge between ages 12 and 17, yet evidence-based screening measures such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9/PHQ-9M) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) are underutilized due to provider knowledge gaps, workflow inefficiencies, and cultural barriers. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model, the project evaluated whether structured staff education improved early identification and diagnosis of adolescent depression and anxiety compared to routine practice. In workshops, web-based learning modules, case simulations, and …

Executive Summary: Organization Change Process Initiative Usability And Integration Of A Nutrition Screening Tool In Outpatient Mental Health Care, Jennifer Marie Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary This doctoral, practice-focused quality improvement project used a mixed-methods design to evaluate the usability, acceptability, and clinical integration of a nutrition screening tool in a mental health outpatient clinic. The project addresses a key practice gap, the lack of evaluation of the implementation of a systematic nutrition screening for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), which contributes to worsening psychiatric symptoms and delayed recovery. Aligning with nursing’s holistic and patient-centered framework, the initiative aimed to strengthen interprofessional collaboration and preventive care. The guiding practice-focused questions addressed: How usable and acceptable is the clinical practice guideline (CPG) tool among clinic …

Development And Implementation Of A Treatment History And Authorization Checklist To Improve Access To Spravato Therapy For Treatment-Resistant Depression, Margaret Mae Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Background: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) presents a significant clinical and administrative challenge, delaying access to evidence-based therapies such as intranasal esketamine (Spravato). Inconsistent documentation and lack of standardized clinical pathways contribute to insurance authorization delays, exacerbating health inequities and care fragmentation. Purpose: This DNP project aimed to develop and implement a standardized Treatment History Checklist and Clinical Practice Guideline to streamline documentation, support timely insurance authorization, and promote equitable access to Spravato therapy for patients with TRD. Methods: Using a systems change framework, the project employed gap analysis, stakeholder engagement, and iterative validation to design tools aligned with payer requirements and …

Development Of An Evidence-Based Educational Intervention To Advance Nurse Knowledge In Comprehensive Care Of Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Jessica Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was a staff education intervention to increase nursing staff knowledge. Congestive heart failure (CHF) remains one of the leading causes of hospitalizations and has the highest readmission rates within 30 days of a previous admission. Consistent evidence reveals improving nursing knowledge reduces complications, improves self-management support, lowers readmission rates in this particular patient population. The DNP project was developed as a staff education intervention and focused on 30 nurses working on a telemetry unit in an acute care hospital. The project question was whether an educational intervention would increase general nursing knowledge caring …

Executive Leadership System Improvement: System- Level Program To Improve Care For Type-Ii Diabetic Patients, Jane Chukwura

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The DNP Scholarly Project presents the Diabetes Interprofessional Management Program, an organization-wide, logic-model–driven initiative to improve glycemic control, empower self-management, and advance health equity for adults with type II diabetes. The project leverages an interprofessional team, targeted training, culturally tailored education, health technology tools, and community partnerships to translate resources into team-based care, personalized plans, self-management support, and continuous education, with outputs including trained staff, engaged patients, and standardized care protocols. Short-term outcomes center on reduced mean HbA1c, more patients achieving HbA1c <7%, and widespread adoption of evidence-based pathways with standardized testing cadences. Long-term outcomes focus on fewer complications, higher patient satisfaction, and reduced disparities through the expansion of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and culturally appropriate resources, underpinned by robust data governance. The evaluation and implementation plan measures clinical outcomes, patient experience, and equity over 0–24 months, using formative metrics (workflow deployment, training, testing timeliness, DSME referrals, portal use) and summative metrics (HbA1c changes, HbA1c <7% at 12 months, hospitalizations, complications, knowledge and quality of life, equity indicators, and ROI). Governance features a Data Steering Subcommittee and quarterly dashboards. Deliverables include standardized protocols, DSME curricula, EHR workflows, training, and a scalable, sustainable model for broader deployment.

Executive Summary: Clinical Practice Guideline Guideline For Identifying Patients At Risk For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Doris Chinazo Dibia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project, I developed a clinical practice guideline to address the absence of a standardized process for identifying adult outpatients at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a community-based mental health clinic. Without such a process, delays in trauma-focused care and inconsistent referrals may occur. The evidence base supports the use of brief, validated screening tools, such as the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5, for accurate risk identification in routine practice. The practice-focused question that I used to guide this project was: Will an evidence-based guideline for PTSD risk identification be approved …

Staff Education To Improve Provider Knowledge On Antibiotic Prescribing, Jessica Nicole Jaimez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project addressed a gap in guideline-based antibiotic prescribing among advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in an urgent care setting. The practice problem identified at the local project site was inconsistent adherence to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outpatient stewardship expectations, resulting in unnecessary antibiotic use for viral conditions and contributing to antimicrobial resistance. The practice-focused question for this project was as follows: In urgent care APRNs, does implementing a staff education program on guideline-based antibiotic prescribing improve provider-reported knowledge on antibiotic prescribing use? The purpose of this doctoral project …

Depression Screening In Veterans And Active-Duty Service Members With Chronic Pain, Lynelle Marie Endsley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project addressed the absence of evidence-based depression screening among military members and veterans with chronic pain. Contrary to national guidelines, no standardized depression screening process was in place. This gap in practice was attributed to inadequate staff knowledge and understanding in using such tools. The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether staff education on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) improved knowledge and confidence, in evaluating for and identifying depression in a high-risk population. The practice-focused question asked: Will staff education on the importance and consistent use PHQ-9 increase knowledge and confidence in depression …

Personalized Resistance Exercise With Peer Support For Women With Pcos Using A Smart Home Video Device: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Guided By Self-Determination Theory, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Kesheng Wang

Faculty Publications

Background

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) report exercise barriers as stigma-related stress, lack of peer support, and facility issues. “Resistance exercise (RE) with peer support and bands/ball and digitally-based supervision” (REPS w/BANDS) was designed to help mitigate exercise barriers. Underscored by self-determination theory (SDT), the 12-week intervention was remotely delivered via digital technology and inclusive of peer support.

Purpose

The purposes of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) were to test the feasibility and acceptability of REPS w/BANDS and explore signals of within- and between-group differences on outcomes (e.g., depressive symptoms and fitness).

Methods

Participants (N = 25) …