A school of nursing in West Texas conceived the Center of Excellence in Evidence-Based Practice (CEEBP) to address innovative strategies to bridge the practice/research gaps, establish relationships to address the nursing and community workforce needs, and supports the connectiveness between different groups. Many approaches have been used such as continuing education events, evidence-based practice opportunities, mentorship measures, and consultation endeavors to develop a COE that is sustainable while advocating for knowledge transformation and lifelong learning within the healthcare community. This presentation will present various exemplars of tactics which can be employed to address the challenges encountered by the nursing professional and communities (Price, 2014). Patterns will be discussed related to reasonable and practical tactics for managing the challenges encountered in the work environment by healthcare providers and communities interested in addressing their health environments. The examples will embrace the expectation that networking is required to embody the local, state, and national community of healthcare, especially within the area of evidence-based practice. Mentoring and partnerships are key to ensuring the sustainability.
From this discussion and examples, the participants will be challenged to envision the use of COEs as a fresh and inventive measure for addressing a wide range of healthcare concerns and settings. The inclination for partnerships with community organizations will be championed to expound schemes which can be customized for integration into other settings.