Date of Award

Summer 2025

Project Type

Thesis

College or School

CHHS

Department

Nursing

Program or Major

Direct Entry Masters of Nursing

First Advisor

Deborah Simonton

Second Advisor

Lexus Guyer

Abstract

Veterans are at significantly higher risk for suicidal ideation (SI) than the general population and often encounter barriers to care such as stigma, trauma, and distrust in healthcare systems. This quality improvement project, conducted at a Veterans Affairs (VA) Urgent Care Clinic, aimed to enhance trauma-informed care by addressing educational gaps among clinical staff. Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, the intervention included a pre-intervention survey to assess baseline knowledge, a targeted educational poster informed by survey findings, and a post-intervention survey to measure changes in staff confidence, resource awareness, and understanding of the role of the mental health response team, also known as the TAG team. While staff initially reported high confidence, survey data revealed discrepancies between perceived and actual knowledge. Post-intervention results showed modest but meaningful improvements in awareness and understanding of key suicide prevention components. Although participation was limited due to workflow constraints, the accessible format of the educational poster proved feasible and sustainable in a fast-paced clinical setting. The project underscores the value of targeted, trauma-informed education and supports the continued development of veteran-centered training initiatives.

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