Date of Conferral
2-14-2025
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Dr. Corrine Romano
Abstract
Summary The type of doctoral project was staff education. The aim was to address the practice gap of lack of standardized staff education on medication adherence in the outpatient psychiatric care setting. The practice-focused question was "Will staff education on medication adherence for psychiatric patients in the outpatient setting result in an increase in staff knowledge?" To provide staff with the information and abilities they needed to consistently deliver patient education that supported evidence, the project created, carried out, and assessed a structured staff education program. Knowledge changes among the 10 participants were evaluated and measured using the mean difference in post- and pre-tests. Interventions with changes included the teach-back method (25), side effects of medications (20), reminders (35), effective communication (23), medication lists (25), and instructions to patients' cultural and educational levels (25). The changes in the interventions showed an increased and improved score significantly in all areas. Staff members expressed increased confidence in their ability to educate patients, demonstrating improved competency. Knowledge gaps were successfully filled by a structured education program using evidence-based interventions, emphasizing the value of equity and inclusion for patients, and frequent training to ensure that all patients receive consistent, high-quality medication adherence education. The project is pertinent to nursing practice because standardized instruction guarantees consistent, evidence-based care, and nurses' capacity to address medication adherence fosters professional growth and improved clinical outcomes. The project encouraged positive social change and better health outcomes by addressing obstacles such as cultural differences, linguistics, and health literacy.
Recommended Citation
Ohene-Agyakwah, Ernestina Akosua, "Staff Education on Medication Adherence Teaching for Psychiatric Patients in the Outpatient Setting" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17336.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17336