Date of Conferral

2-18-2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Jill Walsh

Abstract

The staff education project aimed to address the gap in practice regarding the use of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) screening tool at a psychiatric clinic. Approximately 40% of the clinic’s patients exhibited symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), yet the nurses did not consistently use validated tools to assess anxiety severity, relying instead on unstructured clinical interviews. This inconsistency has resulted in delayed diagnoses and suboptimal patient care. The project sought to improve nursing staff's knowledge and confidence in using the GAD-7 tool through a structured education program guided by the following practice-focused question: Among nurses at a mental health clinic, how does implementing a staff education program on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) impact their knowledge and confidence regarding its use, distribution, and scoring as an anxiety screening tool? The education program was designed with resources from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and included a comprehensive module on GAD-7 use, scoring, and interpretation. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in both areas, with knowledge scores rising from 61.4% to 88.2% and confidence levels increasing from a mean of 3.1 to 4.5 on a 5-point Likert scale. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed statistically significant improvements in knowledge and confidence. Knowledge scores increased from 61.4% to 88.2% (z = -3.9199, p < 0.00008). The project’s findings suggest that similar educational initiatives could be implemented across other mental health settings to foster the integration of evidence-based practices, improving anxiety disorder diagnosis and treatment in diverse healthcare environments.

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