Increasing nursing staff knowledge on medication nonadherence among mental health patients

Medication nonadherence is a challenge among patients with severe mental health disorders, increasing the patients’ risk for exacerbations of psychosis and relapse, which may result in hospital emergency room visits and hospital admissions. In patients with schizophrenia, major depressive disorders, and bipolar disorders, the mean medication nonadherence is 49%. While no single strategy works, a combination of behavioral and educational strategies has been shown to improve patient adherence to their medication regimen. The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge of behavioral and educational strategies to improve medication adherence among patients with severe mental health illnesses. Five participants completed the 16-item pretest questionnaire and then attended 2 days of classroom instruction on medication adherence and compliance strategies. After the classroom instruction, all the participants completed the posttest questionnaire. Data collected from the pretest and posttest were compared using an Excel Pivot Chart and presented in a table, a bar chart, and a line graph. All of the participants gave correct responses to the 16 posttest questions compared to none of the participants on the pretest. The largest improvement was on Questions 7, 10, 11, and 15, with a four increase. While all participants gained knowledge, the findings indicated that additional education may be necessary to sustain staff knowledge. The project supports social change by educating the staff about strategies for improving medication adherence, as a benefit. Equity in health care delivery was supported by the project as staff members learned strategies to incorporate into their practices for the benefit of the diverse mental health patient population served by the clinic.