Improving Nursing Knowledge of Medication Adherence in Bipolar Disorder

The purpose of the project was to improve staff knowledge using a structured educational intervention. The project was guided by the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model. Approximately 30 relevant articles were identified, with 20 meeting inclusion criteria and levels of evidence ranging from Level I to V, indicating moderate overall strength of evidence. The educational intervention consisted of a single, in-person, staff education session delivered to 11 outpatient mental health staff members. I administered a project-developed pre- and postknowledge assessment to evaluate participants’ knowledge change. De-identified data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results demonstrated increased staff knowledge, with mean scores improving from 68.18 (SD = 5.60) preeducation to 85.91 (SD = 4.81) posteducation. Major products included an evidence-based staff education PowerPoint presentation, case-based scenarios, and a pre- and postassessment tool. I concluded that staff education is an effective strategy for improving staff knowledge related to medication adherence. Implications for nursing practice include improved consistency and quality of medication education. Broader implications for positive social change include promoting equitable access to accurate medication education for individuals with bipolar disorder.