Date of Conferral

1-27-2026

Date of Award

January 2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Deborah Lewis

Abstract

Summary This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was a staff education initiative designed to improve metabolic syndrome screening practices for patients receiving long-acting injectable psychotropic medications in an outpatient psychiatric setting. People living with serious mental illness face a heightened risk of cardiometabolic conditions, and inconsistent screening leads to delayed detection, avoidable illness, and ongoing health disparities, underscoring the importance of this practice gap within nursing practice due to nurses’ central role in medication oversight and preventive care. A key limitation of the project was the small sample size and short-term evaluation period, which limited generalizability and did not allow assessment of sustained practice change. The teaching plan included an educational presentation, interactive case-based discussion, workflow review, and printed screening reference materials, with outcomes evaluated using a pre- and post-test design and a 10-item knowledge assessment. Results showed meaningful knowledge improvement among five outpatient psychiatric clinical staff members, with mean scores increasing from 4.0/10 pre-test to 7.6/10 post-test and a normalized learning gain of 60%, supporting intervention effectiveness. Major project products included the staff education curriculum and screening reference tools. Conclusions support staff education as a feasible quality improvement strategy to promote guideline-concordant metabolic screening, with recommendations to integrate training into routine staff education and standardize screening workflows. The project reinforces nurses’ leadership in evidence-based practice and supports positive social change by promoting equitable preventive screening for individuals with serious mental illness.

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