Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Project

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Project Mentor

Robin Narruhn

Readers

Mollie Sharp

Abstract

Adolescent impulsivity is linked to an increased risk of self-harm, which is associated with higher morbidity and suicide. However, impulsivity assessments are not routinely implemented at the adolescent residential treatment setting. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Brief (BIS-Brief) is a validated tool for identifying individuals at an increased risk of self-harm. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to implement an educational program on adolescent impulsivity, self-harm, and the BIS-Brief, and to evaluate its impact on registered nurses’ (RNs’) knowledge. A quasiexperimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used in an adolescent residential treatment facility. Seven RNs participated in the educational intervention. Five RNs completed both pre-education and post-education surveys. Quantitative data from the surveys were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests, and qualitative survey responses regarding anticipated implementation barriers were analyzed using thematic analysis. Statistically significant improvements were observed across all knowledge domains following the intervention (p ≤ .006). Mean total knowledge scores increased from 9.80 pre-intervention to 26.00 post-intervention, demonstrating a statistically significant increase of 16.20 points, t(4) = 11.07, p < .001. Qualitative analysis identified three themes: time and resource constraints, training needs and perceived utility, and patient engagement and reliability of responses. The educational intervention improved RN knowledge regarding adolescent impulsivity, self-harm, and the BIS-Brief. Organizational support and strengthening of therapeutic trust between patients and care providers may inform implementation efforts. Future research should evaluate RN knowledge retention, implementation fidelity, and patient outcomes associated with BIS-Brief utilization in adolescent behavioral health settings.

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