Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
8-4-2025
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Chandra Carter
Abstract
Cultural competence, knowledge, and awareness are essential for improving mental healthcare outcomes in diverse populations. Despite the need, the absence of structured cultural competence training contributes to reduced quality of care and health disparities. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to improve cultural awareness and knowledge among mental health providers at an outpatient clinic by implementing structured staff training. A needs assessment identified gaps in cultural competence knowledge, inconsistent practices, and limited provider confidence in addressing diverse patient needs. In the methodology, the model used to answer the PICOT question is Purnell’s Model, guided by a structured process and outcome evaluation, and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle informed the implementation strategies. The intervention included educational sessions based on evidence-based guidelines supported by Purnell’s Model to assess providers’ cultural competence knowledge. Knowledge levels were evaluated through pre- and post-training questionnaires. The Shapiro-Wilk test confirmed that the data is normally distributed. Statistically significant improvements in the cultural competence scores were shown in p values <0.05 and Cohen’s d value >1.4. The observations indicated a measurable improvement in cultural competence among staff, suggesting the training was practical. This project supports structured cultural competence education as a critical component for improving mental health outcomes and advancing equity in care delivery. The findings inform the best practices for outpatient mental health settings and contribute to reducing disparities and enhancing patient engagement.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Olanrewaju, Lanre, "A Quality Improvement Project Cultural Competency: A Project for Improving Culturally Competent Care Among Mental Health Providers" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 137.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/137
