Dnp- 840a 10 strategic points

QUANTITATIVE STUDY
Ten Strategic Points

Strategic Points Descriptor

Learner Strategic Points for Proposed Study

1.

Dissertation Topic– Provides a broad research topic area/title.

Topic comes out of problem space supported by the literature, not the learner’s head or personal agenda

Aligned to the learners’ program of study, and ideally the emphasis area

Researchable and feasible to complete within the learners’ doctoral program of study including extension courses as needed.

Focused

2.

Literature Review – Lists primary points for four sections in the Literature Review: (a) Background of the problem and the need for the study based on citations from the literature; (b) Theoretical foundations (theories ,models, and concepts) and if appropriate the conceptual framework to provide the foundation for study); (c) Review of literature topics with key themes for each one; (d) Summary.

· Background to the problem

· Literature is predominantly from past 5 years

· Historical treatment of problem being studied

· Clearly defines a stated need

· Theoretical foundation

· Theories, models, or concepts and if appropriate the conceptual framework are described to guide the research and the data collection

· Review of literature topics

· Relevant to the topic

· Demonstrates breadth of knowledge

3.

Problem Statement – Describes the problem to address through the study based on defined needs or problem space supported by the literature

· Statement is structured appropriate for the design

· Researchable

· Quantitative: Researchable variables to be better understood

4.

Sample and Location – Identifies sample, needed sample size, and location.

· Size is appropriate for design

· Likely to be able to access it/get permission

· Identify alternative to their organization (associations, community orgs, research companies, snowball sampling, etc.)

5.

Research Questions – Provides research questions to collect data to address the problem statement.

· Appropriate for the design

· Resulting data will address the problem statement

· Minimum of 2

6.

Hypothesis/Variables – Data sources are valid; variables are clearly defined and measurable (quantitative)

· Quantitative: Data sources are valid; variables are clearly defined and measurable

·

7.

Methodology and Design – Describes the selected methodology and specific research design to address the problem statement and research questions.

· Methodology and design sections

· Appropriate for problem statement

· Justifies the methodology or design using problem statement and citations

· Methodology does not discuss design, instrument, data collection

Design does not discuss instrument, data collection, data analysis

8.

Purpose Statement – Provides one sentence statement of purpose including the problem statement, methodology, design, target population, and location.

· Purpose statement = Methodology + design + problem statement + sample + location

·

9.

Data Collection – Describes primary instruments and sources of data to answer research questions.

· Quantitative: Validated/previously used instrument or data source clearly identified for each variable; demographic variables identified and appropriate to the study. Comment by GCU: In quantitative studies various demographics can be variables. One might compare transformational leadership behaviors for males and females or different management levels within an organization or between different age groups. Or demographic variables might be one of the predictor variables in a hierarchical regression

· Describes sample; various permissions needed; recruiting and select final sample; data collection steps; how data will be stored, security maintained, privacy maintained

10.

Data Analysis – Describes the specific data analysis approaches to be used to address research questions.

· Quantitative: Include testing assumptions; descriptive statistics; specific inferential statistics appropriate for design and type of variables; appropriate for hypotheses

· Data analysis approach aligned to the design/variables/RQs & hypotheses

The 10 Strategic Points

Title of Project

(1)
Impact of depression screenings and counseling to high
school adolescents Comment by Jesus Diaz: Review template for proper format

Background

Theoretical Foundation

Literature Synthesis

Practice Change Recommendation

2)
Background to Chosen Evidence-Based Intervention:

i) Background of the practice problem/gap at the project site. One of the primary causes of disability worldwide, depression affects a sizable percentage of the population. Persistent feelings of sadness and guilt, changes in sleeping patterns (insomnia or oversleeping), changes in appetite, decreased mental and physical energy, unusual irritability, inability to enjoy once-enjoyed activities, difficulty working, and thoughts of death or suicide are all symptoms that can be associated with any type of depressive disorder. These “down” symptoms alone may indicate a unipolar depressive disorder like dysthymia or severe depression if they are present. A person may be diagnosed with bipolar illness if they experience alternating spells of depression and euphoria. Adolescents and young adults increasingly have difficulties with their mental health (Poppen et al., 2016). An individual’s mental health is something only they can fully comprehend, making it difficult for friends and loved ones to spot warning signs in time to intervene. Juvenile and young adult suicide is a major problem in today’s world. A lack of life experiences, self-confidence, and faith in one’s own skills contribute to the suicides of many young individuals. Comment by Jesus Diaz: Remove this prompt

ii) Significance of the practice problem/gap at the project site. Mental illness has been a problem that is affected the population for a long period and worryingly young people and adolescents are experiencing many effects that lead to some committing suicide. The stress that today’s youth encounter nowadays is the most significant of all these issues, especially the pressure they receive based on their academic expectations and poor communication about their troubles to their parents. There is also a gap in the schools in terms of students receiving counseling services because there are limited professional counselors that attend to student needs. Despite the fact that psychologists claim stress could be caused by anything, many young people find the rapid pace of modern life to be a significant source of anxiety. Many young individuals are inspired to take their own lives by the media’s glorified depiction of suicide (Poppen et al., 2016). The reality that suicide is always fatal seems to be lost on many young people. Young people, in other words, consider suicide an option for self-expression or as a means of making up for past misdeeds. Comment by Jesus Diaz: Remove

iii) Theoretical Foundations:

1)Nursing theory:

The most likely reasons for people to take their own lives are outlined in Emile Durkheim’s theory of suicide. According to the theory, a person’s lack of social integration may be a contributing factor in their decision to take their own life after experiencing chronic depression. It is possible that individuals do not have adequate psychosocial assistance to help them deal with the difficulties of life (Poppen et al., 2016). There is limited psychological assistance in schools making it a significant cause of the burden of psychological issues that leads to chronic depression. These individuals have weak egos because they lack sufficient social networks in their immediate environment. It is society’s fault, according to Durkheim, because the regulations that restrict people’s actions are so lax. He is of the opinion that individuals’ actions are influenced by social problems such as the economic crisis, pressure from academic work for high school adolescents, and particularly when such people are unable to cope with their depression. Additionally, the notion indicates that an individual may choose to end their own life if they have the perception that the regulations that are in place restrict their freedom.

2)Evidence-Based Change Model:

A wide number of approaches can be taken to bring about change in healthcare organizations. The data, assessment, and plan (DAP) project’s activities, which include community and adolescent education, community presentations to improve awareness of depression, and teaching positive coping strategies, will be efficiently implemented with the use of the PDSA model’s four steps: plan, do study, and act. During the “plan” phase of the DAP program, a group consisting of school nurses, parents, instructors, and students themselves will serve as the program’s leaders. After the planning stage comes to the “Do” stage, which is where the actual execution of the program takes place. The DAP program will include a variety of components, including public education, the promotion of healthy emotional expression among adolescents through the medium of painting, and the instruction of coping skills (Poppen et al., 2016). The “Study” step is where you’ll be doing any kind of analysis or assessment of the program. A few of the factors that are taken into consideration are the return on investment, any necessary adjustments, and the possibility of unfavorable repercussions. The final phase of the PDSA process is referred to as the “Act.” It includes conducting an in-depth analysis of the project’s goals and results.

Annotated Bibliography Comment by Jesus Diaz: Follow the format in the template and correct spacing of the reference. Make sure it meets APA requirements.

Kroning, M., & Kroning, K. (2016). Teen Depression and Suicide: A Silent Crisis. Journal of Christian Nursing, 33(2), 78.

https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000254

Kroning et al. discuss the hidden epidemic of adolescent depression. They discovered that over 11% of all teenagers and nearly a third of all high school students suffer from depression. About one-fifth of high school pupils (about 17%) have seriously considered suicide. Intriguingly, adolescent depression is rarely given the attention it deserves. The article describes the events leading up to the death of a 17-year-old girl and discusses the warning indicators of depression that could have been observed. Teen depression is a major public health problem. Many adults have witnessed kids’ melancholy and incorrectly assumed it was due to hormonal changes, defiance, or general adolescent irritability. When comparing causes of mortality among people aged 15–24, suicide is by far the most common worldwide. The article provides a detailed plan that can save the life of a depressed person and keep them from even considering suicide.

Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online communication, social media, and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review.
Children and Youth Services Review, 
41, 27-36

Researchers in this study used a narrative synthesis method and a valued appraisal instrument to read the articles and analyze the findings. The research aimed to answer the following question: “What are the positive and negative consequences of social media among youth?” (Best et al., 2014). Further, this study illustrates the beneficial and bad effects of social media use on adolescents’ mental health; this outcome aids me in my investigation of the relationship between adolescent use of the internet and their physical and mental well-being. Evidence from Best et al. (2014) shows that social media can have both beneficial and negative effects on adolescents’ mental health; however, the authors also suggest that further research is needed to strengthen the connection between social media and adolescents’ psychological well-being.

O’Reilly, M., Dogra, N., Hughes, J., Reilly, P., George, R., & Whiteman, N. (2018). Potential of social media in promoting mental health in adolescents. 
Health Promotion International, 1-11.

The study details the examination of three primary topics: the role of social media in the mental health of teenagers, the benefits and problems of social media and mental health, and the future directions for research on these topics. Further, this lends credence to the idea that social media can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on young people’s mental health. Finally, the study does a fantastic job of disaggregating responses by gender and age, resulting in a wide range of perspectives on the potential effects of social media. The concepts of social media opinion, mental health, and views for the future of social media in the context of health informed the design of the focus group.

Wang, X., Cai, L., Qian, J., & Peng, J. (2014). Social support moderates stress effects on depression. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 8(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-4458-8-41

The paper explores how social support plays a role in mitigating depression and other stress-related outcomes. A survey of college students was administered to assess their levels of social support, stress, and depressive symptoms. In a regression study, it was discovered that social support mitigates the association between depression and stress. Undergraduate students who had high-stress levels were discovered to be having depression. The students who reported having social support from faculty and peers were in a different situation. Anxiety manifests itself mentally when the needs of the spirit exceed the capabilities of the body. It’s very uncommon for this to lead to additional feelings of negativity, despair, and anxiety, all of which can stunt a person’s ability to mature and flourish as a person. Individual and environmental variables both play a role in the development of depression.

Albert, P. R. (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in women? Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience: JPN, 40(4), 219–221.

https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.150205

The article discusses how common depression is among women. Major depressive disorder is a serious health problem that affects many people. It is estimated that in 2010, depression disorders were the second-leading cause of burdens for Canadians with disabilities, after mobility impairments. When people are depressed, it often results in their own death by means of suicide or a stroke. Depression ranks as the third leading cause of death around the world because of all these deaths. Education and income, maltreatment, and other socioeconomic issues all have a role in exacerbating women’s already high suicide incidence.

iv) Summary of the findings written in this section.

The adolescents that suffer from depression are contributed by multiple factors that include social issues, academics, lack of support, and the influence of social media. The limited resources for addressing mental health in high school result in cases of chronic depression. There is a need for screening to assist adolescent students in the preliminary stages and avoid cases of depression.

Problem Statement

3) Problem Statement:

Since depression have been a huge problem among adolescents in high school we need to know whether prior screening, counselling and creating awareness will help in mitigating the risks and consequences. Comment by Jesus Diaz: Does not meet the format in the template. This must be

It is not down if the implementation of ____ would impact _____ among ____ patients. Follow the wording in the template.

PICOT to Evidence-Based Question

4) PICOT Question Converts to Evidence-Based Question:

(P)The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project is to
(I) determine if or to what degree the translation of research by Anand et al. utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) will impact the number of depression screenings and referrals to a child psychologist
(C) compared to current practice
(O) among adolescents at a high school setting in urban Texas
(T) over eight weeks. Comment by Jesus Diaz: This is not in the correct PICOT format either. Use the template

Evidence-Based Question:

To what extent does prior screening to students, counseling and creating awareness reduce adolescent depression in high school? Comment by Jesus Diaz: Incorrect wording as well.

Sample

Setting

Location

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

5) Sample, Setting, Location

I) Sample size:15 high school students patients in mental health care will be used to take part in the study to give the required data Comment by Jesus Diaz: Missing data on how you determined that this is the sample size you need. G power analysis calculator? Sample size calculator?

ii) Location : Urban Texas Comment by Jesus Diaz: ii. should be the setting. You must use the template to not lose track of anything

(ii) Inclusion criteria:

· High school adolescent students (12- 17)

· patients in mental health care Comment by Jesus Diaz: Needs correcting, see template

iii) Exclusion Criteria:

· Adolescent who have never received mental health care

· < 12 years

· 17> years

Define Variables

6)Define Variables:

i. Independent Variable (Intervention): Therapy/counseling and having enough counsellors. Comment by Jesus Diaz: Spell / grammar check entire document

ii. Dependent Variable (Measurable patient outcome): Depression Comment by Jesus Diaz: Needs to be more specific

Project Design

7) Project Design
: Comment by Jesus Diaz: Formatting of this section is off, use template

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the impact of therapy/counseling interventions on the mental health well-being of high school adolescents.

i) A sample of students will be selected and randomly assign them to either the intervention or control group.

ii) The sample group will receive individual or group therapy/counseling sessions, while the control group will receive no intervention. We will measure mental health well-being before and after the project

iii) Collect data on demographic factors, previous mental health treatment, and changes in academic performance.

iv) Comparison of mental health well-being scores between the intervention and control groups to determine if the intervention had a significant impact.

Purpose Statement

8) Purpose Statement:

The purpose of this quality improvement project is to determine if the implementation of therapy/counseling intervention would impact the mental health well-being among high school adolescents. The project was piloted over eight weeks in an urban setting within Texas state. Comment by Jesus Diaz: How will you measure this?

Data Collection Approach

9) Data Collection Approach:

iii. To gather and analyze demographic data, I will use an Excel spreadsheet. Items will include; Age, Gender, Risk assessment, and Score Comment by Jesus Diaz: This should start with i.

The numbers are off, use the template

iv. To ensure that the collected data can be replicated, the survey instrument employs a standardized, organized format. In the realm of data collecting and analysis, spreadsheets are widely regarded as among the most efficient and trustworthy tools available.

v. Describe the step-by-step process you will use to collect the data, explain where the data will come from, and how you will protect the data and participants.

a) I will first seek the approvals from necessary authorities and also get the consent from the target participants that is the counsellors and high school adolescents.

b) Sample 15 participants from Urban Texas mental health care

c) High school adolescent patients in mental health care are given an evaluation questionnaire to fill out, with two weeks allotted to finish the process.

d) Compile the data collected from all participants in a spread sheet for analysis

vi. Potential ethical issues pertaining to this project is that participants are needed to sign the informed consent form as soon as they agree to take part in the study, demonstrating their willingness to allow the data to be shared. The participants’ anonymity is protected by the confidentiality guarantees inherent in the informed consent process. The participant has the moral right to expect that their date would be kept private and discreet. There should be no potential conflict of interest between the researcher and the participant.

vii. I would analyze the Belmont report and make sure that all the requirements are adhered to in the research study. This will help to come up with accurate results on the impacts of prior screening, counselling and creating awareness to adolescent depression.

Data Analysis Approach

10)
Data Analysis Approach:

Using a descriptive statistical method and demographic analysis, I would examine the provided descriptive data and demographic information. If I were to analyze the quantifiable patient outcomes, I would use the chi-square test and ANOVA. In this case, I would resort to the techniques employed by statisticians. A possible source of error in the data is that respondents provided false information, especially about demography. To deal with this difficulty, we can establish a range within which each given piece of data should lie to ensure that our results can be reproduced.

References

Albert, P. R. (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in women? Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience: JPN, 40(4), 219–221.

https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.150205
Comment by Jesus Diaz: Per APA: all journal titles and volume numbers should be italics. Line spacing should be corrected on all references as well

Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online communication, social media, and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review.
Children and Youth Services Review, 
41, 27-36

Kroning, M., & Kroning, K. (2016). Teen Depression and Suicide: A Silent Crisis. Journal of Christian Nursing, 33(2), 78.

https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000254

O’Reilly, M., Dogra, N., Hughes, J., Reilly, P., George, R., & Whiteman, N. (2018). Potential of social media in promoting mental health in adolescents. 
Health Promotion International, 1-11.

Poppen, M., Sinclair, J., Hirano, K., Lindstrom, L., & Unruh, D. (2016). Perceptions of Mental Health Concerns for Secondary Students with Disabilities during Transition to Adulthood. 
Education And Treatment Of Children, 
39(2), 221-246. https://doi.org/10.1353/etc.2016.0008

Wang, X., Cai, L., Qian, J., & Peng, J. (2014). Social support moderates stress effects on depression. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 8(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-4458-8-41