Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
8-12-2025
First Advisor
Sandy King
Second Advisor
Jacquie Sands
Abstract
Aggression in psychiatric inpatient units presents a significant barrier to therapeutic care and staff safety, often resulting in the overuse of pharmacological interventions or restraints. Despite strong evidence supporting music therapy as a non-pharmacological option, limited exposure and confidence among healthcare team members hinder its use in practice. This quality improvement project evaluated whether an educational intervention on music therapy could improve staff‘s confidence in utilizing this technique to manage aggression. A quasi-experimental, one-group pre- and post-test design was employed in an adult inpatient psychiatric unit, involving participation from nurses and behavioral health technicians. A structured 30–45-minute educational session was delivered, and confidence levels were measured using a modified confidence scale at baseline and six weeks post-intervention. Results showed significant gains in confidence, with mean scores rising from 9.31 (SD = 1.851) to 20.60 (SD = 4.896), and median scores increasing from 9.0 to 21.0. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test confirmed a statistically significant improvement (t= 3.368, p < .001), with 93.3% of participants reporting increased confidence and 85% maintaining high levels at follow-up. These findings suggest that a brief educational session can significantly enhance confidence and support the implementation of non-pharmacological strategies, such as music therapy. This project contributes to advancing evidence-based practices in psychiatric settings by empowering healthcare team members through structured education.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Murua, Judy, "Implementing Education on Music Therapy to Healthcare Professionals in Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Units to Decrease Incidences of Aggression among Patients" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 156.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/156
