NURS FPX 4905 Assessment 2 Define and Analyze Your Healthcare Process Problem or Issue of Concern

NURS FPX 4905 Assessment 2 Define and Analyze Your Healthcare Process Problem or Issue of Concern Student Name Capella University NURS-FPX-4905 Professor Name Submission Date   A Practicum Analysis: Healthcare Process Issue The problem of antidepressant drug failure has become one of the critical issues in adult care that can be observed at the Mayo Clinic and impacts the overall effectiveness of depression treatment. It is known that antidepressants have proven to be an effective first-line treatment option in major depressive disorder, with the vast majority of patients undergoing such medications failing to stick with them (Unni et al., 2024). This poor adherence results in non-responsive treatment and decreased overall improvement in symptoms. Antidepressants non-adherence leads to the exacerbation of depressive symptoms, increased risk for relapse and recurrence of depression, avoidable hospitalizations, and increasing healthcare costs. In this paper, the researcher seeks to answer the healthcare process question pertaining to the non-adherence of antidepressants medications, the variables behind patient behaviors regarding antidepressant adherence, and the use of nurse-led education and follow-up intervention. Description of the Practicum Site My practicum hours are being completed at a practice site at Mayo Clinic in the United States (US), a community-based ambulatory health care facility that provides services in psychiatric evaluation of adults and provision of psychotropic medications to adults with psychiatric disorders, particularly dementia patients. The study reported that clinics have a great impact on increasing accessibility and assist in long term maintenance treatment by routine monitoring of chronic psychiatric disorders and individual treatment (Gibbons, 2025). The practice of the clinic is regular outpatient care by making regular follow-ups, as opposed to acute care/emergent care. The patient population tends to be 25 and above in age, tends to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), and tends to be prescribed an antidepressant to help manage the MDD, given frequent follow-ups for MDD as routine follow-ups. The majority of the patients require complete nursing care, rehabilitation, medications, activities of daily living, and behavioral issues as a result of dementia. At a follow-up, the MDD examines medication, depressive symptoms, Medication compliance and any adverse effects, effectiveness of current treatment, and provides therapeutic support where necessary. The facility has roughly 350 full-time healthcare workers: psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, registered nurses, medical assistants, behavioral health counselors, as well as administrative support. Such providers apply an interdisciplinary approach to foster best, client-centered, evidence-based behavioral health care to support depression management and treatment continuity among patients on an antidepressant prescription. Clinical and Operational Decisions at the Practicum Site The operational and clinical choices at my practicum site to enhance antidepressant medication adherence. The process of identifying non-compliant patients; education tailored specifically to the barriers each patient experienced; scheduling follow-up with high-risk patients with a nurse once a week and recording the medication adherence evaluations and nursing interventions into the electronic health records; and discussing concerns with my preceptor and the interdisciplinary team to amend the treatment plan when needed were all part of the clinical decisions. Research has shown that effective care coordination and follow-ups lead to opportunities for reduced patient risk and improved flow of care in outpatient behavioral health services (Leila, 2026). These activities were mentored and directed by my preceptor as a nursing student, with me screening patients on adherence, educating patients individually on their particular barriers to medication adherence, and documenting their assessment in the electronic health record (EHR) as a follow-up. The psychiatric prescriber made the decisions to prescribe; however, my clinical assessment and documentation helped in assisting clinical decision-making. The previous literature confirmed that more follow-up visits, both nurse-led and interdisciplinary collaboration, improved patient medication adherence, quality of care, fewer hospitalizations, and resulted in better patient outcomes, which is linked to better management and suppression of depression symptoms, relapse prevention, and an improved quality of life (Shani, 2024). The severity of depression is measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and adherence to medication was a very important quality indicator in this group of patients. These clinical choices and outcome indicators were consistent with safe and evidence-based care that would perhaps enhance depression management in the long term in this facility. Antidepressant Non-Adherence and Patient Outcomes The healthcare process issue I have assessed at the Practicum site has been non-adherence to the use of antidepressant medication with adult depressed outpatient clients. Many adults prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) as a group are frequently unable to adhere to the therapy-taking instructions, negatively impacting the effectiveness of the therapy, severity of symptoms, and risks of relapse or hospitalization. A Nurse-led Quality improvement intervention would be responsive to the problem. The interventions include screening medication adherence conducted by a registered nurse (RN), individual patient education, weekly phone calls, visits with an RN, entering all the data into the EHR, and interdisciplinary team collaboration. Existing Evidence: Not all individuals adhere to antidepressant medication, which has been singled out as a common healthcare problem. In one study, Unni et al. (2024) found that the non-adherence rate in the US was 42.9% and in a five-country population in Europe, 46.2%. Their research concluded that the causes of non-adherence that were more frequently mentioned were forgetfulness and concerns about medications. On the same note, another study conducted by Chanie et al. (2025) revealed that the non-adherence rate of a depression treatment group (adults) was 32.9%, and the main factors that influenced the non-adherence rate were based on the fact that they were women, lacked literacy, were unemployed, the duration of treatment, and experienced severe adverse reactions to the medication. Gutirrez-Abejn et al. (2023) also concluded that inadequate medication adherence correlates with an increase in healthcare costs, rate of relapse, visits to the emergency room, and hospitalizations. These results justify the application of an interdisciplinary approach, including a Nurse-led intervention in order to enhance medication adherence. Analysis of Impact on Quality, Safety, and Cost The effects of antidepressant medication non-adherence are harmful to both the health care recipient and the health care system. Poor