Date of Conferral

1-29-2026

Date of Award

January 2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Deborah Lewis

Abstract

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a progressive disease that affects a diverse population. Patient-centered education is key to lowering rehospitalizations and mortality rates. Although nurses are essential providers of patient-centered education, those in acute care settings often have unclear directions for implementing and documenting CHF education. Multiple educational materials within electronic health record (EHR) systems further complicate the process and highlight the practice gap. The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to streamline CHF education by clarifying the role of nurses in education delivery and documentation, potentially enhancing nurse confidence and improving patient health outcomes, with implications for health equity and diversity. The project-focused question was, Does a CHF-focused tip sheet and educational Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, highlighting American Heart Association (AHA)-compliant educational topics and patient identification criteria, improve acute care nurses’ knowledge of CHF patient education, as measured by pre- and posttest results? A normalized Likert score was used to standardize the maximum values for the statistical analysis. The 54% learning gain indicated that both products, the educational presentation and tip sheet, were effective resources for improving the confidence and knowledge of acute care nurses. A recommendation is for nursing leaders to apply educational tools to support the nursing profession with a streamlined, equitable, and inclusive process for patients. Therefore, engaging patients with a structured, patient-centered education on CHF positively impacts social change by encouraging patient participation and accountability in their health and wellbeing.

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