Date of Conferral

4-7-2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Corinne Wheeler

Abstract

Site monitoring identified inconsistent adherence to scheduled follow-up care as an operational concern, underscoring the need for standardized nursing strategies to enhance follow-up communication. This staff education project aimed to determine whether a focused educational intervention could improve nursing knowledge of adherence support strategies, with confidence measured as a secondary outcome. Guided by the ADDIE instructional design model and the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model, the project was implemented in a large outpatient urology clinic with 18 participating registered nurses. Participants completed anonymous paper-based pretests and posttests surrounding a single 45-minute, live group education session. Educational content covered common barriers to adherence, application of teach-back, and effective communication strategies to support follow-up care. Evaluation involved a 15-item knowledge assessment and confidence rating before and after the session, along with expert review of program content. Knowledge scores increased from a pretest mean of 9.67 to a posttest mean of 14.06, t(17) = -6.83, p < .001, with a large effect size (|d| = 1.61); posttest scores ranged from 87% to 100%. Confidence scores increased from 2.89 to 4.87, t(17) = -12.91, p < .001, with a very large effect size (|d| = 3.04). The project produced key deliverables, including a standardized education presentation, a nurse-facing communication job aid, and a brief knowledge-confidence assessment tool. Findings support the feasibility and impact of a single structured education session in enhancing nursing readiness to promote follow-up adherence. Onboarding and refresher training with literacy-responsive strategies may strengthen consistency in follow-up communication, promote patient understanding of care plans, and advance health equity.

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