Date of Graduation
Fall 12-12-2025
Document Access
Project/Capstone - Global access
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
College/School
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Program
MSN project
First Advisor
Tania Borja-Rodriguez, PhD, RN, FNP-BC
Second Advisor
Bob Patterson, DNP, MSN, RN
Abstract
Objective: Psychotropic medications place a high risk for side effects such as confusion, dizziness, falls, and death in older adults above age 65 (Seifert et al., 2024). Educational training on appropriate psychotropic drug use to nursing staff is linked to a decrease in penalties (Jung et al., 2021), side effects, and an increase in staff knowledge in caring for patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms (Pinazo-Clapés et al, 2020). Aim: Facility A in Northern California is currently non-compliant with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines for appropriate psychotropic use due to limited staff understanding of regulations and inconsistent documentation practices. The licensed nurse staff (RNs and LVNs) has an average of 44.4% moderately to very confident, and scored 80% in the knowledge of documentation processes. The quality improvement project aims to increase the licensed nurses’ reported confidence from 44.4% to 59.5% by November 11, 2025. Methods: A one time targeted education, along with standardized flowsheets and checklists was provided to participants during a monthly staff meeting. The education provided includes CMS guidelines, examples of accurate documentation, side effects, and non-pharmacological interventions. A pre- and post-intervention survey was collected to assess confidence and knowledge of appropriate psychotropic use and documentation practices of the licensed nurses. Results: The level of confidence increased from 44.4% to 60.7% and the level of knowledge increased from 80% to 85.7% for documentation processes. Conclusion: The educational training with the supplemental tools improved the nurses’ competency and knowledge, promoting regulatory compliance and patient safety. Future efforts include routine staff training, diligent use of non-pharmacological interventions, routine chart audits, and staff training on the use of their electronic health record system to ensure sustainability of results.
Recommended Citation
Paing, Ei Chit, "Increasing Nursing Staff Confidence and Documentation Compliance for Psychotropic Medication Use" (2025). Master's Projects and Capstones. 1973.
https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/1973
