Date of Conferral

10-6-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Barbara Barrett

Abstract

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement initiative involved addressing gaps in transitional care planning and timely outpatient follow up among adult psychiatric inpatients. Fragmented discharge processes and inconsistent coordination between inpatient and outpatient providers contribute to poor continuity of care, increased relapse risk, and preventable readmissions. Organizational data from a 28-bed inpatient psychiatric unit revealed only 25% of discharged patients completed follow up appointments within 7 days, compared to the national benchmark of 55%. The purpose of this project was to develop a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP)-led clinical practice guideline (CPG) to standardize discharge planning, with the goal of attaining approval from an expert panel to improve follow up appointment adherence and enhance care transitions. Guided by the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice (JHEBP) model, a systematic process was used to synthesize evidence and translate findings into the development of a structured guideline. The CPG was evaluated by an interdisciplinary expert panel using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument. Evaluation results demonstrated high methodological quality and strong agreement among reviewers, supporting the guideline’s clarity, rigor, and applicability for clinical use. Implementation of this guideline is expected to enhance care delivery, through diversity, equity, and inclusion with the potential to improve patient outcomes, and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration. This guideline also highlights the leadership role of PMHNPs in advancing evidence-based practice within an organization, and improving psychiatric transitional care processes, which can positively promote social change.

Download

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

 
COinS