DNP alumna publishes quality improvement project on end-of-life care

A graduate of the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program has published her scholarly project in Geriatric Nursing.

Jeanette M. Ruiz, DNP, APRN, FNP‑C, led a quality improvement study examining how targeted training can improve advanced practice clinicians’ knowledge, comfort, and documentation related to Physician Orders for Life‑Sustaining Treatment (POLST) in home‑based geriatric care. The article, “Improving advanced practice clinicians’ knowledge and comfort of physician orders for life‑sustaining treatment form: A homecare quality improvement initiative,” was published online in April 2026. 

The POLST form is a critical tool that interprets a patients end‑of‑life preferences into actionable medical orders. Despite its importance, many clinicians receive limited formal training in how to initiate these difficult conversations, which is critical for timely advance care planning.

As part of her DNP scholarly work, Ruiz, a 2025 graduate of UCLA Nursing, designed and implemented a one‑hour virtual educational intervention for nurse practitioners and physician assistants working in a Medicare Advantage home‑based care program across Northern and Southern California. The training combined didactic instruction, structured communication strategies, interactive role‑play, and guided debriefing.

The study findings showed significant and sustained improvements in clinicians’ knowledge, comfort, and preparedness to conduct POLST discussions. Clinicians reported increased confidence addressing issues such as family conflict, cultural and religious considerations, and goals‑of‑care decision‑making. The initiative also led to significant improvements in electronic medical record documentation of POLST discussions.

The project highlights the impact of experiential, practice‑focused education in improving patient‑centered end‑of‑life care.