Date of Conferral
8-7-2026
Date of Award
August 2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Betsy Rodgers
Abstract
The practice gap addressed in this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project was the inconsistent documentation completion of evidence-based depression follow-up actions for patients with severe depression in an outpatient mental health clinic. National clinical practice guidelines recommend that patients with clinically significant depression receive timely, documented follow-up that includes appropriate treatment planning, behavioral health follow-up, medication management when clinically indicated, and repeat symptom reassessment. However, baseline chart audit findings demonstrated variability in documentation of these evidence-based follow-up actions. The practice-focused question was: In an outpatient mental health clinic, does a standardized staff education program on evidence-based depression follow up improve staff knowledge, confidence, and documentation completion of follow-up actions for patients with severe depression? The project was guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model and the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design model. Participants included four psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, one therapist, one clinic administrator, and two administrative assistants (N = 8). The intervention consisted of a standardized staff education program supported by an evidence-based depression follow-up workflow and documentation tools. Project outcomes were evaluated using anonymous pre- and post-education knowledge assessments and de-identified pre- and post-implementation chart audits. Mean staff knowledge scores improved from 59% before the educational intervention to 94% afterward, demonstrating increased knowledge and confidence in evidence-based depression follow-up documentation. Three-week post-implementation chart audits showed improvement in overall documentation of evidence-based follow-up actions from 55% at baseline to 90%. The project demonstrated that a standardized staff education program can improve staff preparedness and promote more consistent documentation of evidence-based depression follow-up. Recommendations include integrating the educational program into new employee orientation, conducting routine documentation audits, providing periodic refresher education, and evaluating long-term sustainability. This project contributes to nursing practice by supporting evidence translation, quality improvement, and standardized depression follow-up processes that promote equitable, patient-centered mental healthcare.
Recommended Citation
Ndukwu, Uzochiamaka, "Staff Education to Improve Evidence-Based Follow-Up for Patients with Severe Depression in an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20601.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20601
