Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Degree Track
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
Year Degree Awarded
2019
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/14465245
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
caregivers, suicide education
Advisor
Dr. Gabrielle Abelard, DNP
DNP Project Chair
Dr. Gabrielle Abelard, DNP
Abstract
Purpose: Suicide is a preventable act of lethality yet still remains a public health concern. Suicide can affect individuals from a variety of backgrounds and does not discriminate against age, gender, ethnicity, income, or occupation. Efforts to prevent suicide often focus on supporting the suicidal individual however there is a lack of available resources that focus on supporting those closest such as caregivers. Caregivers can play a pivotal role in their loved one’s trajectory towards recovery. The purpose of this project was to provide caregivers with a suicide toolkit that encompasses basic education, approaches to supporting a loved one who is suicidal, and community resources on prevention. Methods: This quality improvement project included information on evidenced based approaches, and local resources on suicide prevention. A total of twenty caregivers were included in this project that were divided into two separate groups: group A and group B. Ten caregivers were assigned to group A and asked to provide input as to what they felt a toolkit should encompass based on identified needs, this feedback was then used in part to develop a suicide toolkit. Group B consisted of a second set of ten caregivers who were asked to complete a pre and post questionnaire following the review of the suicide toolkit that was developed by the DNP student to see whether or not scores improved. Results: Eight out of ten caregivers from group A provided input for toolkit development. Four common themes emerged from this feedback that were included in the development of the toolkit. Ten caregivers in group B completed the pre and post questionnaire following the review of the toolkit and the means between these groups were compared and showed a slight improvement but not to the proposed 25% goal set forth. Conclusion: Post questionnaire scores showed improvement in comparison to pre questionnaire scores however several questions reflected no improvement in scores. This data may suggest that providing a toolkit alone does not elicit specific improvements in knowledge, confidence, competence, and perceived caring abilities, rather it can be a component of treatment. Several limitations are discussed including a small sample size used and little to no additional participant identifiers. Future recommendations include increasing the sample size and changing the phrasing of the questionnaire to better reflect caregiver experiences.
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