Date of Conferral

4-21-2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Anna Hubbard

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential for improving quality, safety, and outcomes in healthcare; however, gaps in staff knowledge and readiness continue to limit consistent implementation in outpatient settings. This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was a practice-focused quality improvement initiative designed to evaluate the impact of a targeted staff education intervention on EBP knowledge and readiness. The practice-focused question guiding the project was: Does a targeted staff education intervention improve knowledge and readiness to integrate brief music therapy as an adjunct to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and appropriately utilize the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) screening tool in an outpatient setting? Five staff members from an outpatient clinic serving underserved populations participated in an in-person, structured educational session focused on EBP principles, brief music therapy integration, CBT fundamentals, and standardized use of the GAD-7. A pre- and posttraining 10-item knowledge questionnaire was used to evaluate outcomes. Results demonstrated improved knowledge in four of five participants, with mean scores increasing from 6.0 pretraining to 8.2 posttraining. Participants showed the greatest improvement in areas related to nonpharmacologic anxiety management strategies, interdisciplinary roles, and outcome measurement. Findings support that brief, targeted staff education can strengthen EBP knowledge and implementation readiness, contributing to sustainable quality improvement. This project demonstrates that low-cost, scalable educational interventions can enhance organizational EBP capacity and promote equitable, evidence-informed care in outpatient and community-based settings.

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