Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Melissa D. Rouse

Abstract

AbstractHealthcare workers play an essential role in healthcare facilities to help patients with mental health challenges and those at risk of committing suicide. The practice gap that the healthcare facility was experiencing was a knowledge deficit among healthcare staff on the importance of suicide screening. The importance of equipping staff with suicide screening knowledge is to help decrease suicide attempts, suicide thoughts, and completed suicide in patients. The practice-focused question for this staff education project asked if staff education for nursing staff and psychiatrists would increase their knowledge about suicide prevention methods and suicide screening techniques. The purpose of the DNP project was to educate the healthcare staff about screening tools and methods to improve their identification of people who are suicidal or in a crisis. The logic model, also known as the theory of change, was utilized as the conceptual framework. There was a total of six participants who attended the training: four nurses and two psychiatrists. A pre and posttest were administered, and data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed staff education on suicide screening methods improved their knowledge. Presurvey results showed an average score of 67 and post-education survey results showed an average score of 95. This supports the practice-focused question by showing there was an improvement in knowledge after attending the education session. The improvement in knowledge acquired after the staff education has the potential to reduce the suicide mortality rate and improve patient care and outcomes thus bringing positive social change.

Download

Share

 
COinS