Knowledge of depression and application to practice: A program evaluation

The purposes of this program were to determine whether participants gained more comprehensive knowledge about depression and if that knowledge was applied in practice following attendance at a 3-day educational workshop. Twelve programs were conducted in three southwestern states. The majority of the 363 participants were Anglo-White female registered nurses whose ages ranged from 23 to 74 years and who worked in general medical-surgical units, nursing homes, or community health settings. This study was a repeated-measures design to evaluate the effects of depression education on depression knowledge and its clinical application. Participants demonstrated increased depression knowledge and practice application following the program. Knowledge of depression remained stable across postprogram measures. Although application of interventions decreased between 6 weeks and 6 months, assessment skills remained stable. Mental health nurses can improve patient outcomes through programs such as the one described by educating nurses in the detection and management of depression.