Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
4-28-2026
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Veronica Arredondo
Abstract
Serious mental illness places a significant burden on global healthcare systems, increasing hospital utilization and critically impairing patients' functional status. Often crippling, these illnesses are mostly treated with medication therapy despite proven research to show effective outcomes with holistic and non-pharmacological therapies. Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) are often underutilized in outpatient mental health settings. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine whether structured training impacted staff confidence in delivering NPIs and impacted documentation frequency in the electronic health record (EHR). The project was guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice and implemented using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, with Lewin’s Change Theory supporting the change process. This project consisted of seven clinical staff members directly involved in patient care who consented to a pre-post intervention design. Staff members completed the Confidence Scale survey before and after the intervention, while the project team measured documentation through chart audits. The team analyzed changes in confidence and documentation using paired samples t-tests. Results showed a significant improvement in confidence, t(6) = 3.99, p = .007, and documentation frequency, t(6) = 10.36, p < .001. This project demonstrates how an evidence-based educational intervention can improve patient outcomes, clinical practice, documentation, and potentially support implementation across broader behavioral health settings.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Vann, Kimberly, "Quality Improvement Project: Enhancing Staff Delivery of Non-Pharmacological Interventions in Serious Mental Illness Care" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 329.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/329
