Date of Conferral
8-1-2026
Date of Award
August 2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Stacy Lourie
Abstract
This staff education doctoral project addressed a practice gap in provider knowledge, confidence, and consistency when assessing, educating, and documenting marijuana use among patients receiving mental health services. The practice-focused question was the following: For staff in a community mental health setting, does a structured staff education intervention on marijuana use and mental health improve knowledge and confidence related to assessment, patient education, documentation, and psychotropic treatment monitoring? The purpose was to translate current evidence into a practical education session, screening guidance, patient counseling points, and documentation prompts. The evidence base included 10 peer-reviewed articles addressing cannabis use, mental health outcomes, provider knowledge, cannabis potency, cognitive outcomes, and psychiatric treatment considerations. Analytical strategies included literature synthesis and descriptive analysis of anonymous pretest and posttest results. Fifteen participants, including eight psychiatric nurse practitioners, two registered nurses, three licensed social workers, and two occupational therapists, completed 10 knowledge questions before and after the staff education presentation. The mean pretest score was 7.4 out of 10, or 74%. The mean posttest score increased to 9.8 out of 10, or 98%, reflecting a 2.4-point improvement and a 24 percentage-point increase. Before the education, scores ranged from 3/10 to 9/10; after the education, scores ranged from 8/10 to 10/10, and 13 of 15 staff scored 10/10. Findings suggest that brief, structured staff education can improve staff knowledge and support safer, more consistent cannabis screening, documentation, and patient education.
Recommended Citation
Muganguzi, Kalubi Florence, "Staff Education to Improve Provider Knowledge of Marijuana Use and Mental Health in a Community Mental Health Setting" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20476.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20476
