Paper
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
666
Creating the Vision and Developing an Infrastructure for Evidence-Based Practice at an Academic Health Center
Victoria Schirm, PhD, RN, Department of Nursing, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA and Katherine A. Dawson, MSN, CRNP, NP-C, CCRC, Center for Palliative Care, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: describe resources, infrastructure, and education processes essential to creating an evidence based practice environment. |
| Learning Objective #2: discuss facilitators and barriers to implementing evidence based practices within an academic health center. |
This presentation presents the process and the model that evolved to develop a practice culture for evidence-based practice (EBP) in the Department of Nursing at an academic health center. Described are components to promote EBP, thereby assuring that nursing staff at all levels are using the best available evidence to provide patient and family care. These components include executive and administrative support that the Chief Nurse Officer, and nursing directors and managers have in facilitating education and promoting active participation in EBP. A second component is development of leadership abilities of Advanced Practice Nurses and Nurse Educators to mentor and direct nursing staff in EBP projects and activities. A third component is engaging the nursing shared governance structure to embed a cultural of EBP across the academic health center. Specific elements of each component are illustrated. Examples are given of administrative support and commitment to create the infrastructure and provide resources. The EBP education initiatives developed for nurses at all levels, and how each was tailored to meet specific needs of the group is also presented. Examples of training activities developed for nurse managers and nursing staff, and projects and initiatives developed by advanced practice nurses will be shared. Highlighted is development of an Online Evidence Based Practice tutorial that was developed in collaboration with reference librarians. The role and function of nursing councils in promoting and using EBP is shown, with particular emphasis given to the educational activities developed and promoted by Nursing Research Council. Challenges and lessons learned to overcome impediments to achievement of EBP in an academic health center are given. Facilitators and barriers are described by illustrations from clinical and administrative practices. The presentation underscores the executive and administrative vision that enabled development of an infrastructure for evidence based nursing practice within an academic health center.