Evaluating the Impact of EBP Integration Across a BSN Curriculum

Nurse educators are being asked to prepare graduates who base their practice on evidence (theory and research, evaluating nursing outcomes, and participating in and utilizing research) and who can participate in shaping the health care delivery system (AACN, 1998).  Nursing students, whose attitudes toward research are reported to be largely negative, are asking nurse educators to enhance the clinical relevance of the research course (Callister et al., 2005).  Very little research has been done to demonstrate that integration of EBP has been effective in changing student behavior and attitudes, particularly after graduation.  A faculty initiated EBP Community of Practice in a major university created a vision to transform nursing students' educational experiences by leveling EBP concepts and principles across their baccalaureate nursing curricula. This presentation will provide an overview of the quasi-experimental study that was launched to determine if formally integrating EBP throughout the junior and senior level nursing curriculum would influence nursing student EBP beliefs and implementation practices during their course work and after graduation.

• The learner will be able to describe the overall purpose of the study.
• The learner will be able to discuss dimensions of the affective and cognitive domains of learning addressed in the study.