Date
10-16-2025
Department
School of Nursing
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Chair
Sherri Walker
Keywords
nutritional psychiatry, screening tool, REAP-S, nutrition, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
Disciplines
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Richards, Beatrice Joan, "Empowering Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners to Address Nutritional Deficits: An Educational Quality Improvement Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7563.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7563
Abstract
Psychiatry is a complex and multifaceted discipline, and treatment approaches often vary based on provider preference and philosophy. Some focus heavily on pharmacotherapies, while others use psychotherapeutic methods, and still others take a more holistic approach involving full-body wellness. All three strategies are beneficial, and providing psychiatric care with a combination of them all can address the full spectrum of factors that influence one’s mental health. Much research, education, and clinical focus have been put on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapeutics. However, there is a marked lack of understanding regarding the holistic realm of psychiatric care, specifically the role of nutrition, amongst providers. With new emerging research showing the benefits of a healthy diet on one’s mental health, providers must be educated on how to implement simple, time-effective measures of nutrition in their everyday assessments. This project hopes to improve understanding amongst psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners regarding this area of treatment and provide a simple tool that can be used in order to provide more insight into their patients' dietary habits, ultimately improving outcomes and providing patient-centered care.
