"Neurological Assessment Skills for Acute Care Nursing Staff" by Kathleen Libke

Date of Conferral

1-27-2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Robert McWhirt

Abstract

The ability to perform a rapid and comprehensive neurological assessment is an important tool for the nurse at the bedside when a patient has changes in their neurological state. According to the American Heart Association, it is essential for the bedside nurse to ensure they have the necessary skills to improve recovery, survival, and quality of life when experiencing changing neurological symptoms. The focus of this project was to answer the question of whether a self-learning staff education program on neurological assessment increases staff knowledge towards the ultimate goal of increasing competence when conducting a focused neurological assessment. The project question addressed whether a self-learning module could provide an increase in knowledge, competency, and performance of a bedside neurological assessment to identify what the changes represent as potential outcomes for the patient. The use of Knowles’s adult learning theory and andragogy provide a concept where adult learners need to find the value in the material presented and incorporate it into their practice. The sample consists of 25 medical surgical registered nurses on a 24-bed acute care unit at a not-for-profit, government network system-based healthcare organization. The data from the pretest and posttest were analyzed by calculating the change in the scores which reflected a 50.43% increase in knowledge regarding a neurological assessment. These findings support the positive changes in baseline knowledge and competency through the recommended instructional methodology. The educational tool needs to be sustained and provided to the other medical surgical staff for continuity of care and assurance of the delivery of evidence-based best practices and high-quality care of the patient.

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