Abstract

Many primary care Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) lack access to continuing education (CE) tailored to managing mental health disorders. This quality improvement project evaluated changes in APP confidence before and after participating in an online, asynchronous CE program focused on behavioral health in primary care. The project was conducted through a higher education institution in northeastern Minnesota and included 21 APPs practicing in Minnesota (N = 21); however, only two participants completed at least two of the three courses during the implementation window. Paired t-tests and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to evaluate changes in confidence using a validated self-efficacy survey. Despite limited engagement, statistically significant increases were observed in average pre- and posttest confidence levels among engaged participants (n = 2), particularly in managing mental health disorders (p = 0.0056; r = 0.50). Informal feedback highlighted the value of asynchronous and AI-supported learning tools, such as podcasts and unit summary documents. This project demonstrates the potential feasibility and scalability of asynchronous CE models to enhance APP confidence in mental health care delivery. While limited by participation rates and time constraints, the intervention model shows promise for broader implementation. Future efforts should focus on strengthening recruitment strategies, offering differentiated learning pathways based on participant experience levels, and implementing structured oversight of AI-generated content to ensure clinical accuracy and educational quality.

Author Details

Collin McDowell, DNP(c), BSN, RN, PHN; Madelynn Lozinski, BSN, RN Tristan Senenfelder, BSN, RN

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

Pilot/Exploratory Study

Keywords:

Primary Health Care, Primary Care, Mental Health, Continuing Education, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Continuing Medical Education, Continuing Education of Nurses

Advisor

Lisa Starr

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

The College of Saint Scholastica

Degree Year

2026

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2026-03-30

Full Text of Presentation

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