Date of Conferral

7-3-2024

Date of Award

July 2024

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Joan Hahn

Abstract

The project focused on depression among nursing home residents, an underrecognized and undertreated condition that affects quality of life. Few studies have been conducted on the subject of depression screening for nursing home residents, resulting in a lack of understanding among the nursing profession on managing specific conditions. At a nursing home, there was a need to address depression. The practice-focused question used in this project addressed the process of the translation of evidence to develop a staff education project for depression to enhance the knowledge of nurses working with nursing home residents. The project followed an evidence-based approach to guide this project. The sources for evidence included databases such as CINAHL, PubMed, and ProQuest. The project’s findings included a discussion of the current best evidence to develop this education project and the evidence that supported staff nurse learner gain based on a 10-item pre- and posttest developed for the project. Seven out of 10 items showed learner gain in knowledge with an increase in the mean number of respondents (N=4) answering correctly from pre (M = 2.1) to posteducation (M = 3.2) with no change noted for three items. The implication for positive social change from this project is an improvement in nursing knowledge and clinical skills and the care that is provided to patients. The aim is to prompt nurses to conduct screening and thus address the underrecognized and undertreated depression among residents to improve quality of life as they transition and begin life or continue living in a residential facility.

Included in

Nursing Commons

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