Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Barbara Gross

Abstract

As primary care providers in correctional facilities, correctional nurses are expected to balance inmates' healthcare needs with the security demands of the facility. This project explored whether an evidence-based education program could provide strategies for promoting health, a healthy work environment, and a sense of well-being to improve the knowledge, coping skills, and well-being of nurses working in a correctional occupational setting. Twenty nurses participated in an educational intervention project that was guided by the transactional theory of stress. Using a pretest/posttest design, data were collected over a 2-week period and calculated using means and percentages. The descriptive statistics using the 6 items in the pre- and posttest showed an average gain of 48% in knowledge compared to the pretest scores. Using the World Health Organization Well-Being Index scale, participants' sense of well-being also improved with an average score of 21% to 40% following the intervention. Findings indicate that effective management of work-related stress could result in positive social change by improving the health of nurses, the health outcomes of inmates, their families, and the community at large. With knowledge from this project, leadership might provide support and create opportunities for nurses to improve their skills.

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