Date of Conferral

11-13-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Ednu Hull

Abstract

Summary Early recognition of cognitive decline is vital to improving outcomes and maintaining patient safety across healthcare settings. The Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) screening tool assists nurses in detecting early cognitive changes; however, inconsistent administration and interpretation of the screening tool can reduce its effectiveness. A gap in staff knowledge regarding scoring, education-level adjustments, and documentation accuracy was identified at the practice site. To address this gap in practice, I developed and implemented a staff education program focusing on SLUMS administration and evidence-based clinical response to abnormal scores. The practice-focused question guiding this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was: Will a staff education program on the SLUMS dementia screening tool improve nurses’ knowledge in accurately administering and documenting SLUMS assessments? Nine clinical staff members participated in a 1-day educational session, which included pre- and posttest exams and a summative evaluation. Statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 30 demonstrated a strong improvement in knowledge from pre- to posttest. The pretest mean score was 65.22 (SD = 9.85), which increased to 93.44 (SD = 4.91) on the posttest, reflecting substantial knowledge gains across participants. Results indicated the training was highly effective in strengthening nurse competency, aligning with current evidence-based practice for early dementia screening and care planning. This practice change holds the potential for positive social change by promoting early identification and intervention for individuals with cognitive decline, thereby improving quality of life.

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