Date of Conferral

5-13-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Corinne Romano

Abstract

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project was conducted in the adult inpatient psychiatric unit of a behavioral health facility in Texas over 4 weeks. The project involved addressing the absence of standardized staff practices related to patient follow through after discharge. This practice gap contributed to fragmented continuity of care and inconsistent discharge planning. The project’s practice-focused question was: How does staff education on patient follow through impact staff knowledge? The goal was to determine whether an evidence-based staff education program could improve staff knowledge and promote efficiency in terms of discharge practices. Education was delivered through in-person sessions and via email for staff who worked night shifts or were unable to attend in person. Pre- and postintervention surveys were used to measure changes in staff knowledge. Responses were collected anonymously to ensure confidentiality of participants. Descriptive analysis showed an increase in staff knowledge scores from a pretraining average of 63% to a post-training average of 88%, suggesting effective knowledge acquisition over 4 weeks. Implications for nursing practice included improved adherence to discharge planning protocols, enhanced interdisciplinary communication, and promoting structured care transitions. Although this project was limited due to a short implementation timeframe, it provides a scalable model for similar psychiatric units. This staff education program prompts to engage in evidence-based patient-centered discharges practices that reaches all individuals receiving mental healthcare are supported in ways that reduce disparities and foster lasting, positive social change.

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