Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
6-24-2026
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Leigh Swartzendruber
Abstract
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an evidence-based approach that promotes safe, patient-centered care for individuals with a history of trauma. Many patients receiving services in psychiatric settings have experienced trauma, placing them at risk for retraumatization during healthcare encounters. Despite the recognized benefits of TIC, the outpatient psychiatric clinic involved in this project lacked a formal trauma-informed care education program for staff. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine whether implementation of a structured trauma-informed care educational intervention improved staff attitudes toward trauma-informed care. Lewin’s Change Theory and the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework guided project implementation. A quantitative pre-intervention and post-intervention quality improvement design was utilized. Clinical and administrative staff members employed at the clinic participated in a structured trauma-informed care educational program. Staff attitudes were measured using the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) Scale before implementation and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and outcome data. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to evaluate changes in staff attitudes following the intervention. Six staff members completed the project. Findings demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in staff attitudes toward trauma-informed care following implementation of the educational program (Z = -2.20, p = .028). Participants demonstrated increased readiness to incorporate trauma-informed principles into clinical practice and patient interactions. This quality improvement project advanced knowledge at the project site by increasing staff awareness and attitudes toward Trauma-Informed Care, while contributing to the nursing discipline by supporting the use of evidence-based education to promote trauma-sensitive practice and improve quality of care.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Ika, Ornela Claude, "Quality Improvement Project: Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care Education in an Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 358.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/358
