Date of this Version

2025

Document Type

DNP Project

Abstract

One out of every five children report having experienced bullying in their lifetime. This presents a unique problem to children who are already being hospitalized for a mental health crisis. Exposure to bullying from peers while receiving treatment can potentially hinder treatment goals. Poorer mental health outcomes are experienced by youth who are victimized, and a knowledge deficit regarding bullying is prevalent among healthcare providers exists. Furthermore, minority youth, such as LGBTQ+ and immigrant youth, face additional prejudices. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to increase knowledge awareness among healthcare providers at a children’s crisis stabilization unit (CCSU) in Miami, Florida, regarding preventing and mitigating bullying behaviors. A descriptive, cross-sectional, pre-and-posttest study design was utilized to conduct this project. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit N = 6 participants and access data at an inpatient children’s psychiatric-mental health unit in Miami, Florida. The project was conducted both in person and remotely, including the administration of modified versions of the Delaware School Survey-Teacher/Staff (DSS-T/S) Scale & Subscale and the Bully Stoppers: Data Collection Tool: Teacher Survey, as well as the delivery of the educational intervention. Furthermore, a code of conduct for the CCSU patients was developed to deter patients from engaging in bullying behaviors. A “Provider Perception Survey” was distributed weekly to determine changes in perceived bullying activity in the CCSU. Results found that the educational intervention was not effective, with p = 0.407, (p > 0.05). However, implementing the code of conduct yielded notable benefits in decreasing bullying behaviors. Healthcare providers should be educated on bullying prevention and mitigation practices to improve the outcomes of pediatric patients who are hospitalized for psychiatric crises.

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