Date of Conferral
2-9-2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Deborah Lewis
Abstract
Adults with depression frequently use or inquire about holistic and herbal therapies; however, inconsistent and non-standardized staff education regarding the safe, evidence-based integration of these therapies may contribute to variable counseling practices and potential patient safety risks. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate a structured staff education intervention focused on integrating holistic and herbal therapies for adults with depression in an outpatient behavioral health practice. The practice-focused question examined whether staff education would improve staff knowledge related to commonly used holistic and herbal therapies and associated safety considerations. A pretest–posttest design was used to evaluate changes in staff knowledge following the educational intervention. A 15-item knowledge assessment was administered immediately before and after the education. Aggregate scores were analyzed using the Normalized Learning Gain (NLG) formula to assess the magnitude of learning improvement. Results demonstrated an increase in mean knowledge scores from 79.82 on the pretest to 86.35 on the posttest, with an NLG of 0.32, indicating a moderate gain in staff knowledge following the intervention. Key project deliverables included an evidence-based educational PowerPoint presentation, a standardized herbal safety algorithm, quick-reference educational handouts, and a validated knowledge assessment tool. Limitations included implementation within a single practice setting, a small sample size, and short-term outcome evaluation. Recommendations include incorporating the educational content into onboarding and ongoing competency training to promote sustainability. This project strengthens nursing practice by supporting evidence-based knowledge translation and patient safety and promotes positive social change by enhancing culturally responsive, equitable mental health care through informed, patient-centered counseling.
Recommended Citation
McMorris, Kettelene P., "Staff Education on Integrating Holistic and Herbal Therapies for Adults with Depression" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 19080.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/19080
