Date of Conferral
8-11-2026
Date of Award
August 2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Donna Bailey
Abstract
Depression is a common mental health condition that frequently goes undetected in primary care because of inconsistent screening and follow-up practices. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based staff education program to improve adherence to standardized depression screening using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in a primary care clinic. Eighteen clinical staff members, including registered nurses, medical assistants, and primary care providers, participated in a structured educational intervention focused on standardized screening, documentation, scoring, and referral procedures. Project outcomes were evaluated using pre- and post-intervention knowledge assessments and electronic health record audits of depression screening completion and follow-up documentation. Following implementation, staff knowledge increased from 58% to 89%, depression screening adherence improved from 45% to 72%, and documented follow-up for positive screenings increased from less than 30% to 68%. Although the project did not achieve the target screening compliance rate of 80%, the findings demonstrated meaningful improvements in evidence-based depression screening practices. The project supports the use of staff education, electronic health record reminders, and ongoing competency reinforcement to sustain practice change, improve early identification and treatment of depression, strengthen care coordination, and enhance the quality of nursing practice in primary care settings.
Recommended Citation
Umeh, Jeremiah, "Staff Education to Improve Depression Screening Adherence Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2/Patient Health Questionnaire-9" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20619.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20619
