Date of Conferral

4-24-2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Lilo Fink

Abstract

In this staff education project, I targeted early sepsis recognition and response among medical-surgical nurses. The practice gap at the site was nurses’ limited knowledge of sepsis indicators and screening tools, which contributed to delayed escalation of care. The practice-focused question guiding the project was “Does educating medical-surgical nurses on early sepsis recognition and response improve knowledge of early sepsis recognition and response?” I applied the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) and Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice (JHEBP) models to design a structured sepsis education program for nursing staff. I searched for peer-reviewed literature via databases accessed through the Walden University Library, including PubMed, CINAHL, and ProQuest. Twenty-eight articles were identified, and 11 were used in the project. Fourteen medical-surgical nurses working across all shifts voluntarily participated in five in-person education sessions and completed pre- and post-education surveys. Nurses’ pre-existing knowledge was moderate, with a pretest mean score of 9.07 (SD = 1.73; 45%), and the posttest mean score was 16.93 (SD = 1.64; 85%), marking a 40 percentage point improvement in knowledge. Conclusions support integrating sepsis education into routine competency programs. Implications for nursing practice include improved clinical vigilance, equitable care delivery, and reduced disparities in sepsis outcomes, contributing to positive social change through safer, more timely patient care across diverse populations.

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