Date of Conferral

7-10-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Corinne Wheeler

Abstract

In this project, I addressed a persistent practice problem among agency nurses working in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Southern California, who often enter the facility with varying familiarity with its policies and procedures. I designed this staff education, evidence-based practice (EBP), quality-improvement initiative to strengthen nursing knowledge and competency among agency nurses at the facility. The practice question was designed to assess on whether their knowledge and self-perceived competency improved after participating in the education program. I obtained evidence for the project from peer‑reviewed research, clinical guidelines, and national competency frameworks. I identified sources through systematic searches of CINAHL, PubMed, and Google Scholar using keywords related to nursing competency, ASC education, agency nurses, and perioperative safety. The pre- and posttest knowledge and confidence questionnaires each consisted of 15 questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Among the six participants, the mean knowledge test score increased from 9.0 before the intervention to 14.5 after, resulting in a learning gain of 91.7%. Perceived confidence, measured on a 5-point Likert scale, increased from 3.1 to 4.62. Recommendations include expanding the structured ASC‑specific education program to additional agency and permanent nurses, incorporating ongoing refresher training, simulation‑based learning, and conducting annual competency validations. This project advances equitable, high‑quality care in ambulatory surgery centers through strengthened nursing competency, leading to a social change.

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