Embracing Inquisitive Thinking by Front-Line Staff

A regional acute care agency in West Texas undertook a challenge to engage frontline nursing staff in the process of inquisitive thinking. The thought was that by fostering innovative ways to think, frontline staff would become further enmeshed in evidence-based practice and collaborative scholarship. Smith and Donza (2010) reported from the IOM that “EBP is a necessary and valuable tool for future progress, and as a projected goal, by the year 2020, 90% of all clinical decisions will be supported by accurate, timely, and up-to-date clinical information that is supported by the best available evidence” (para 2). Evidence-based practice, research, and quality improvement must become a common expectation within the workplace. The engagement by staff personnel to require innovative thinking for all clinical decisions is a fundamental and crucial responsibility in all health care environments. For this program, Roger Clarke’s Innovation Diffusion Theory (2009) was used. This theory was developed for the incorporation of new technological innovations into society. The stages and adopter categories have implications for the incorporation of new ideas into any innovative setting.

Engaging frontline nurses to promote knowledge transformation, embrace lifelong inquisitive thinking, and expand scholarly collaboration are critical outcomes for the Academy of Inquisitive Thinking (AoIT). Staff nurses have voiced a lack of confidence in their ability to implement change in their practice setting. Many times the nurse does not have the experience or competency to engage their peers collaborative project to improve the practice setting. Participants in the AoIT are challenged to reach for new heights related to professional growth and advancement. This symposium will showcase three projects planned, implemented, and evaluated with the AoIT process. Each of the projects are examples of projects proposed and addressed while considering the thinking and reasoning process paramount for advancing sound and effective projects that will address challenges within the provision of health care.