Date

7-4-2023

Department

School of Nursing

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Chair

Sherri Walker

Keywords

Nurse Practitioner, psychiatric, mental health, AIMS, psychosis, psych-mental health, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, antipsychotics, medication education, novice Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner prescribing, Nurse Practitioner prescribing, patient education, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), adverse effects, schizophrenia, standards of care, Parkinsonian, psych liability, psych-mental health standards of care, Nurse Practitioner liability, antipsychotic risks

Disciplines

Nursing

Abstract

Inadequate recognition and treatment of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) pose as a major liability to providers, as EPS can be life-threatening to patients, as they develop into metabolic syndrome, tardive dyskinesia (TD), or even death. Thus, insufficient usage of AIMS testing can negatively impact providers’ ability to meet associated care practice standards, when treating psychotic patients with antipsychotic medications. As a result, an evidence-based practice, quasiexperimental project was completed, utilizing the Iowa Model Revised: Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Excellence in Healthcare. In alignment with this version of the revised Iowa Model, a pilot study was initiated to progress toward a formal practice change. This process was experimental in construct and execution. In this project, a group of novice Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, who recently gained employment with iCare and Associates, LLC, were assessed on their baseline knowledge pertaining to Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) testing, using a pretest examination. Each Nurse Practitioner was then provided formal AIMS testing-specific education, in the form of a lecture, handout materials, as well as a teach back-style question-and-answer period before a post-test examination was administered to test their knowledge retention. Upon competition of the education and post-test, a six-week study period was conducted to record and compare the number of AIMS testing documentation occurrences, per provider, as compared with the number of potential documentation occurrences. All documentation occurred within the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system of the organization. Based on statistical analyses, using paired t-testing, research findings indicated a match or increase in the number of AIMS testing and documentation occurrences of Nurse Practitioners post-educational intervention, as compared to the potential calculated number of occurrences possible. Thus, there exists statistical significance, suggesting that interventional education increases the usage and application of AIMS testing during the screening and management of patients taking antipsychotic medications for psychotic conditions.

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