Date of Conferral

5-22-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Patricia Schweickert

Abstract

This doctoral project was conducted as a staff education project. The practice problem involved inconsistent depression risk screening in hospice and palliative care patients. It was crucial to address this, as depression can be pervasive in this population. The practice-focused question was, For registered nurses who work in a palliative or hospice care unit, does education on depression risk screening increase depression screening rates as compared 12 weeks before to 12 after the education? The project aimed to improve depression risk screening rates through staff education. The Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice model was used to assess 13 supporting articles for this project. The facility provided the pre- and post-de-identified data, including Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-2 and PHQ-9), Geriatric Depression Scales (GDS), and Cornell Scales for Depression in Dementia (CSDD). Quantitative analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics. The paired sample t test evaluated whether the educational intervention increased depression screening by comparing screening rates before and after. The pre-education group (N = 12) had a mean score of 1.58 (SD = 0.515), showing variability. In contrast, the posteducation group (N = 9) had a mean score of 2.00 with no variability (SD = 0.000), as all participants achieved the maximum score (p = .0024). Findings emphasized the need for standardized depression screening protocols in hospice and palliative care, along with ongoing staff education for better recognition of depression risk. This approach may enhance patient care and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion by ensuring all patients received necessary mental health support.

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