Date of Completion
Summer 2026
Document Type
DNP Scholarly Project
Academic Department
School of Nursing
Degree Type
Doctoral
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
First Advisor
Dr Lydia Forsythe
Second Advisor
Dr. Katie Hooven
Abstract
Effective communication among healthcare practitioners is essential for patient safety, care coordination, and quality outcomes in outpatient psychiatric settings. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project aimed to improve interdisciplinary communication and reduce communication-related patient complaints through implementing the Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) framework at Med Cure Clinic, an outpatient psychiatric facility in Houston, Texas. Guided by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Model for Improvement and the OhioHealth Change Management Model, the 12-week project incorporated staff education, standardized SBAR documentation, electronic health record prompts, communication audits, stakeholder engagement, and Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles. The project evaluated outcomes using pre- and post-implementation data on patient complaints, communication satisfaction, documentation adherence, staff knowledge, organizational readiness, and patient wait times. Findings demonstrates a reduction in communication-related complaints from 28% to 8%, an increase in patient communication satisfaction from 75% to 88%, and final SBAR documentation adherence of 92%. Staff knowledge improved from 65% to 97%, while organizational readiness increased from 64% to 94%. Patient wait times remained within the predetermined acceptable range. These findings suggest that structured SBAR communication, supported by staff education, leadership engagement, and continuous monitoring, can strengthen communication consistency and care coordination in outpatient psychiatry. Continued audits and organizational reinforcement may support sustainability.
Recommended Citation
Ogunleye, Abiodun, "Enhancing Practitioner Communication in Outpatient Psychiatry Using the SBAR Framework" (2026). All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects. 95.
https://fuse.franklin.edu/dnp-project/95
Rights
Copyright, all rights reserved
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Behavioral Disciplines and Activities Commons, Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons, Health Communication Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Organizational Communication Commons, Other Communication Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons
