Date of Conferral
8-6-2026
Date of Award
August 2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Melissa Rouse
Abstract
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions encountered in outpatient practice, yet inconsistent use of standardized screening tools contributes to missed opportunities for early identification and intervention. In outpatient settings, nurses and other clinical staff are often responsible for administering depression screenings; however, many lack formal education on the standardized use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). To address this practice gap, this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project was implemented in an outpatient setting to determine whether staff education on the use of the PHQ-9 would improve staff knowledge, confidence, and intent to use the tool for depression screening. The primary product of this project was a structured, evidence-based PHQ-9 staff education program. A pretest–posttest design was used to evaluate project outcomes. Inferential statistical analysis was used to examine changes in staff knowledge and descriptive statistics were used for confidence and intent to use the PHQ-9 following the educational intervention. Results demonstrated significant improvement in knowledge, with mean scores for the 12 participants increasing from 57% before the intervention to 94% after the intervention, t(11) = 8.72, p < .001. Confidence in administering, scoring, and interpreting the PHQ-9 improved from 54% to 92%, whereas intent to use the PHQ-9 consistently in clinical practice increased from 58% to 96%. Findings indicate that targeted staff education improved staff knowledge, confidence, and intent to use the PHQ-9 for depression screening. This project supports positive social change by promoting earlier and more consistent identification of depression in outpatient settings while also advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by standardizing depression screening practices.
Recommended Citation
Ngantche, Madjou Stella, "Staff Education to Improve Clinical Staff Knowledge, Confidence, and Use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in Outpatient Depression Screening" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20564.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20564
