Paper
Sunday, November 4, 2007
181
Management Model for the Evidence-Based Practice Process in a Multihospital System
Karen M. Pehrson, MS, APRN, BC, Professional Development, Southcoast Hospitals Group, Fall River, MA, USA and Frances E. Muldoon, MS, APRN, (BC), St. Luke's site, Southcoast Hospitals Group, New Bedford, MA, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: discuss how a multihospital system implemented Porter-O’Grady’s Nodes and Networks framework to support the process of Evidence Based Practice. |
| Learning Objective #2: identify the role of the system wide CNS’ in implementation of this process. |
The regulatory mandates to provide best practice for patients throughout healthcare stimulated patient care services to devise a method to implement evidence based practice (EBP) with a framework to sustain the process. At Southcoast Hospital’s Group two of the Clinical Nurse Specialists prepared a model for supporting the use of EBP across our system. Using Timothy Porter-O’Grady’s framework of Nodes and Networks, (Malloch and Porter-O’Grady 2006) the Clinical Research Council, composed of staff from the three hospital sites, became the central network for the process. Nine Nodes link together to form this network and these nodes link to other networks to create the model. The nodes are representative of the relationship of the council to internal and external groups. Two of the nodes represent the reporting relationship the council has in the system; one of which is with the Internal Review Board and the second relationship is with the Nursing Shared Governance System. Other nodes represent the collaborative relationship the hospitals have with the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and the Theta Kappa Chapter at the university. The Professional Development Council; the Library network throughout the system; administrative support; the electronic information resources that are available; and the outcomes measurement network constitute the other nodes. In the graphic representation of this model the closeness of the nodes to each other represents their close interrelationships. The management of the linking networks allows for the synthesis of EBP throughout the hospital system. Outcomes include: a) multidisciplinary, multinetwork collaboration to enhance research development, utilization and participation, b) a seamless system to influence the quality of patient care.