Date of Conferral

11-7-2024

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Corinne Romano

Abstract

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was a staff education initiative aimed at addressing the critical practice problem of delayed sepsis identification in emergency room (ER) settings. Addressing this gap is crucial to nursing practice because timely intervention for sepsis significantly reduces morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. The practice-focused question underpinning this project was, How does staff education on early sepsis identification impact knowledge regarding screening accuracy in a 42-bed emergency department (ED)? To assess the effectiveness of the educational intervention, I designed pre- and posteducation surveys, both with 10 questions each, which I administered to participants via QR codes through the SurveyMonkey platform. Fifty-eight staff members participated in the preeducation survey (M = 81%, SD = 13%), and 43 staff members completed the posteducation survey (M = 87%, SD = 21%). A dependent samples t test revealed a statistically significant improvement in staff knowledge (p = 0.007). The results demonstrated a clear improvement in sepsis screening knowledge. The findings highlight the need for continuous staff education to maintain high levels of competency in sepsis recognition and highlight the potential for similar educational interventions to be expanded across health care settings. In terms of social change, this project may support improved outcomes for vulnerable populations by ensuring that all patients receive timely, equitable care in the ER. The project also emphasizes the role of education in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Recommendations include continued training programs and routine audits to sustain improvements.

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