Date of Conferral

5-22-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Margaret Harvey

Abstract

As a staff educational project, I addressed a critical issue in nursing practice. In many clinical settings, medical personnel are unprepared to use screening instruments such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) tool because they do not possess the requisite expertise, which often leads to missed or delayed identification of anxiety symptoms. Timely and accurate mental health assessments are essential for effective patient care and improved clinical outcomes. Does an educational program of a Psychiatric outpatient clinic increase staff knowledge and confidence in using the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) tool, compared to baseline knowledge before training? was the central practice-focused question, which explored whether a structured educational program could enhance healthcare professional’s ability to use the GAD-7 screening tool effectively. I used a pre-post study design and applied a one-sample t test and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare staff knowledge before and after the training. Results demonstrated that participants not only significantly improved their understanding and knowledge of the GAD-7 but also increased their confidence in using the tool and integrating it into routine workflows. These findings emphasize the value of structured training and offer a replicable model of enhancing staff knowledge and competency in anxiety screening and detection. Recommendations include adopting similar training programs in other clinical settings, along with measuring the effects of these kinds of educational initiatives over the long run through longitudinal research. Effective screening has the potential to promote a positive social change by improving patients’ mental health and overall well-being.

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