Date of Conferral

11-17-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Dr. Barbara Niedz

Abstract

This doctor of nursing practice (DNP) staff education project was conducted to address inconsistent adherence to catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention bundles in an adult intensive care unit (ICU). CAUTIs remain a leading cause of morbidity, extended hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. The project aimed to improve nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding CAUTI prevention through structured education and the integration of daily catheter reassessment checklists into practice. A quantitative pretest–posttest design was used to measure changes in participants’ knowledge and attitudes following two 45-minute educational sessions. Forty-two ICU nurses participated in the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired t tests and effect size calculations. Results showed statistically significant improvements. Knowledge scores increased from a mean of 6.38 (SD = 1.27) to 9.05 (SD = 0.62) in a statistically significant way, t(41) = −12.584, p < .001. Attitude scores improved from 36.33 (SD = 1.82) to 46.36 (SD = 1.51), t(41) = −28.913, p < .001. All individual attitude items also demonstrated statistically significant gains, indicating enhanced perceptions of teamwork, confidence, and accountability in CAUTI prevention, p < .001. Sustaining the improvement will require ongoing education, competency validation, and regular audit feedback. Overall, the project demonstrates that nurse-driven education can produce measurable improvements in clinical practice and contribute to positive social change by reducing infection rates, improving patient outcomes, and promoting a culture of safety and professional accountability within critical care nursing

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