Date of Conferral
2016
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Mary Verklan
Abstract
An Evidence-Based Educational Intervention to Improve Nursing Staff's Critical Thinking and Decision-Making Skills
by
Rene N. Kagan
MSN, University of New Mexico, 2009
BS, University of Phoenix, 2000
Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Walden University
September 2016
Hospitalized patients in acute care settings are at a high risk of developing health complications that can eventually lead to failure to rescue (FTR) situations. The aim of this project was to deliver a structured comprehensive medical-surgical competency plan for acute care nurses to detect deterioration in a patient's condition through the triad of assessment model to promote clinical reasoning among acute care nurses. Data were collected using pretest surveys, a demographic sheet, and an evaluation survey. A convenient sample of between 22 and 29 nursing staff was recruited from three medical-surgical inpatient units at a VA Hospital. The pretest survey, administered simultaneously with the educational modules, assessed participants' baseline knowledge on components of the triad of assessment model and the processes involved in the prevention of FTR. The pretest scores for modules 1 to 6 were 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, and 3 respectively. The posttests scores for modules 1 to 6 were 4, 5, 5, 5, 4, and 5 respectively. The nurse's aides also recorded posttest scores of 4.6 for both Pulse Oximetry and orthostatic hypotension modules. The t-test (p<0.00) showed a significant difference between the pre and posttests scores, thus, indicating an improvement in nursing staff's knowledge regarding the triad of assessment model. Thus, it is important to adopt a comprehensive medical-surgical plan for acute care nurses institutional-wide. This project contributes to social change through identification of a medical-surgical intervention that improves nurses' critical thinking skills, thereby promoting patient satisfaction and safety. Because nurses play a significant role at the bedside, improved critical thinking skills will facilitate a significant reduction in FTR rates, heighten patient satisfaction, and enhance the nurse-patient relationship.
Recommended Citation
Barron-Kagan, Rene Norene, "An Evidence-Based Educational Intervention to Improve Nursing Staff's Critical Thinking and Decision-Making Skills" (2016). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 2786.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2786
