Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
4-25-2026
First Advisor
Sandy King
Second Advisor
Veronica Arredondo
Abstract
Shared decision-making (SDM) is an evidence-based approach that enhances patient engagement, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes in psychiatric care. Despite strong support in the literature, SDM remains inconsistently implemented in mental health settings due to limited provider training, time constraints, and organizational barriers. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate an educational intervention designed to improve SDM utilization and provider confidence within a private outpatient psychiatric practice. The project was guided primarily by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework to support structured practice change, with Lewin’s Change Theory providing additional conceptual support. The intervention consisted of a 30-minute educational PowerPoint Presentation, with planned pre- and post-assessment using the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-Doc). A comprehensive literature review was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO to support intervention development. Although one provider completed a baseline assessment, the planned educational intervention was not implemented due to the practice partner’s withdrawal, and post-intervention data were not obtained. This limitation highlighted real-world barriers to implementing change in small clinical settings. Despite these constraints, the project underscores the importance of structured SDM education and lays a foundation for future implementation efforts to strengthen patient-centered psychiatric care.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Hysler, Joanna L., "Enhancing Shared Decision-Making in Mental Health Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 347.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/347
