Date of Conferral

10-20-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Psychology

Advisor

Derek  Rohde

Abstract

At North Regional Medical Center (NRMC), the Emergency Psychiatric Crisis Unit (EPCU) has struggled with leadership, planning, and communication problems that have affected interdisciplinary collaboration, workforce engagement, and the ability to sustain trauma-informed care. In this setting, leadership directly affects patient safety, staff retention, and the crisis services the community relies on. This capstone study examined how leadership practices influence workforce engagement and patient-centered psychiatric emergency services at NRMC to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement in the EPCU’s leadership system. The Baldrige Excellence Framework categories of Leadership, Strategy, Workforce, Operations, Results, and Knowledge Management guided the evaluation of leadership effectiveness and organizational alignment. Data came from Institutional Review Board-approved structured interviews with key stakeholders and a review of policies, leadership communications, quality reports, and operational indicators. Analysis used a hybrid deductive–inductive approach: initial codes came from the Baldrige categories, and other themes were allowed to emerge. Triangulation across sources supported credibility. The resulting recommendations are meant to improve leadership consistency, interdisciplinary collaboration, and workforce engagement in this high-acuity unit. The findings may advance professional practice by offering a structured way to evaluate leadership in emergency psychiatric care and may contribute to positive social change through better patient experiences, less staff burnout, and stronger access to quality crisis services.

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