Date of Conferral
12-10-2024
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Jill Walsh
Abstract
Summary This evidence-based staff education project on Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) was implemented to improve staff knowledge on how to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders. Current annual training for mental health staff covers response techniques when patients experience mental health crises that have already escalated to the point of physical aggression. The MHFA education program helps staff understand mental health and substance abuse disorders, ultimately improving chances of preventing escalation. The practice-focused question for this project was: Among mental health professionals at a rural mental health organization, what is the impact of an MHFA staff education program, compared to current practice, on staff knowledge of the identification, understanding, and response to patients experiencing mental health crises? The purpose of this project was to provide a staff education program to improve staff knowledge of mental illness, including substance abuse and responses to patients experiencing mental health and substance abuse crises in order to improve outcomes. A pretest/post-test design was used for this staff education project. Findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test which showed there was a significant difference (p < .05) between pretest and post-test correct response datasets. These findings showed educating staff on MHFA could improve their knowledge in order to identify and respond to patients experiencing mental health and substance abuse crises and improve outcomes. Implementation of MHFA education is recommended to improve patient outcomes and practice changes. For mental health first aiders, it is crucial to incorporate understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion into MHFA actions.
Recommended Citation
Mosley, Vashawn, "Executive Summary: Staff Education Project Staff Education on Mental Health First Aid to Improve Staff Knowledge of the Identification, Understanding, and Response to Patients Experiencing Mental Health" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17084.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17084
