Document Type
DNP Project
Department
School of Nursing
Date of Degree
Spring 2025
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Primary Advisor
Dr. Angela Stanley, DNP, FNP-BC, PHCNS-BC, NEA-BC
Keywords
Postpartum depression, Postpartum depression screening, Nurse training, Postpartum care
Abstract
Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is common in mothers, and early detection is essential for better outcomes. Barriers in screening success can reduce PPD detection, for which nurse education interventions have been shown to be effective at overcoming.
Gap in Care: In a Magnet-designated hospital’s Postpartum Unit, a lower-than-expected PPD positive screening rate was observed, signaling potential barriers in screening success.
Aims: This quality improvement project aimed to: (1) increase PPD screening rates by 5% without decreasing overall screening; (2) improve nursing knowledge by 10%; (3) enhance nursing confidence in PPD care to >90%; and (4) increase patient education to >90% without increasing perceived burden.
Methods: The quality improvement project implemented a nurse education program at the project site, with 74 nurses (93.7%) attending a one-hour education session on PPD. Data collection included monthly EPDS screening rates, knowledge tests, and confidence surveys.
Results: Positive screening rates increased slightly from 4.6% to 5.0% (p = 0.78). Nursing knowledge significantly improved from 72.3% to 84.9% (p < 0.001). Post-intervention, 90.3% of nurses reported confidence in PPD care, and > 90% reported educating patients about PPD. Overall screening rates remained stable (93.8% to 93.5%).
Conclusions: Targeted nursing education enhanced knowledge and confidence in PPD care but had limited impact on positive screening rates. Given the gap between observed rates (5.0%) and expected PPD prevalence (13.2%), further investigation of factors affecting screening accuracy is needed.
Copyright Notice
©2025 Sahar Jensen. All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Jensen, S. (2025). A Nurse Educational Intervention to Improve Postpartum Depression Screening of Women in a Postpartum Hospital Unit. , (). Retrieved from https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/son_dnp/174
Open Access
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