Staff Education to Improve Knowledge of Nurse-Led Telemonitoring for Suicide Prevention

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was a staff education initiative addressing a critical practice gap: clinical staff at a mental health facility lacked the practical knowledge to implement evidence-based telemonitoring protocols for suicide prevention, despite strong supporting research. High rates of suicide attempts and readmissions underscored the urgency for this intervention. The practice-focused question was: “Will a staff education program designed to educate healthcare providers on nurse-led telemonitoring protocols increase staff knowledge?” The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate an educational program for providers to increase their knowledge on how a telemonitoring protocol can reduce suicidal ideations in their patients. Analytical strategies included paired t tests of pretest–posttest scores, descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis of qualitative feedback. Findings showed a significant knowledge increase from 62.4% to 89.6%, t(24) = 8.67, p < .001, representing a 27.2 percentage-point improvement with a large effect size (d = 1.73). The major products of this project include a standardized curriculum, assessment tools, and implementation guidelines. Limitations included a single-site implementation and immediate posttest measurement without long-term retention data. Recommendations for future work include implementing booster sessions and expanding training to interdisciplinary teams. The implications are that structured staff education can effectively bridge the evidence–practice gap for telehealth interventions in suicide prevention. This equips providers to deliver evidence-based telemonitoring, potentially reducing suicide risk. The project promotes positive social change by expanding telehealth access to underserved populations, addressing equity through more accessible care models.