ABSTRACT
Background: The pilgrimage of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to bring postpartum depression (PPD) out of the shadows and into the light. A gap existed in a postpartum ambulatory setting with the screening, detection, and treatment of PPD. Objective: A quality improvement project with an evidence-based standard of care for PPD screening was implemented with every postpartum patient. Methods: The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale-10 (EPDS-10; Cox, et al., 1987) was used as a reliable and valid screening instrument to screen 46 postpartum women. Results: Screening for PPD increased from 10.9% to 95.8% after the implementation of the EPDS. Referral and treatment of PPD increased from 1.8% to 19.6%. Conclusion: This project established an evidence-based standard of care that can be implemented with every postpartum patient and brought nine women out of the shadows with the hope that they can find the light to recover from PPD. Implications for Nursing: Screening for PPD is recommended by experts and is a Healthy People 2030 goal (ACOG, 2018; USPSTF, 2018). Universal screening with a validated tool may lead to improved compliance with screening, detection, and treatment of PPD. The outcomes of this project inform and prepare clinicians for the predicted mandate of national screening for PPD.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) nurse is recognized as a practice scholar in nursing and leadership; moreover, the volume of published scholarship from DNP authors is expanding. PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to quantify and analyze DNP-authored peer-reviewed journal publications from 2012 through 2018. METHODS: This was a descriptive analysis of DNP graduate publications found in the WorldCat database from 2012 through 2018. RESULTS: Nearly 2000 (n = 1903) DNP-authored, peer-reviewed journal publications were extracted. Doctor of Nursing Practice-authored publications increased 136% from 2012 to 2018, including 1059 (56%) with DNP authors as first authors and 494 (26%) from DNP graduate solo authors. There were 1179 collaborative and interprofessional publications (62%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this research demonstrate an increase in the number of DNP-authored scholarly publications since 2012. Scholarly publications by DNP authors expand the dissemination of knowledge and offer an avenue to improve health outcomes nationally and globally.
