Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Joanne Minnick

Abstract

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. Although it can be treated, it may go unidentified for a long period of time. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticipates that, by 2020, depression will become responsible for more disabilities than a combination of other conditions, excluding heart conditions. The prevalence of depression among the general population is higher in patients who seek emergency healthcare services. The purpose of this project is to develop an evidence-based educational module for nurses to screen for depression in an acute care setting using the PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 depression screening tools. The design and the implementation of this educational module were directed by Bandura's social learning and self-efficacy theories. The research question focused on how a staff training education module can improve nurses' knowledge of depression screening. A total of 10 nurses participated in the educational program and completed the pre and post-test surveys. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the pretest score of (36%) with a P-value of < 0.64 and post-test scores of (99%) and a P-value of < 0.001. This confirms a significant improvement in the nurses' knowledge of using PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 for depression screening. The project outcome facilitated a significant increase in the use of best practices by reducing the prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated depression in acute care clinics. The implementation of the project can affect social change by improving nurses' knowledge towards performing depression screening, decreasing the incidence of undiagnosed and untreated depression among adults, and prevent health-related complications associated with depression.

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