![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Learning Objective 1: Identify steps in developing an evidence-based practice team among staff nurses in a hospital unit.
Learning Objective 2: Identify ways to strengthen individual leadership skills by implementing and directing a unit-based team.
Background: The PICU at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta consists of 30 beds, 114 nurses ,and 2000 patients are admitted every year. The children require complex care based on the latest evidence. It became clear there was some variability in the way nurses provided care. Although there is a system-wide nursing evidence-based practice (EBP) and research committee, our unit had no formal structure for EBP. One of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s strategic initiatives is to foster a culture of inquiry that drives outstanding care.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop an EBP team on our unit. We hypothesized that over a 6 month period, staff nurses would report increased awareness of EBP, increase their involvement in EBP activities, and families would report higher satisfaction with care.
Project Activities: After IRB approval was obtained, 114 staff nurses were sent the Bernadete Melnyk and Ellen Fineout-Overholt’s EBP Implementation and Beliefs Scales that measured their beliefs about evidence-based practice. Forty-one nurses completed the survey and Elizabeth recruited team members. “Question boxes” were placed around the unit and staff were encouraged to submit their clinical questions. The team met every 4-6 weeks to begin literature searches on the questions submitted. The team worked with members of other disciplines, as well as other hospitals, to provide answers to the staff. The EBP Implementation and Belief scale surveys will be redistributed 6 months (July 2011) after implementation.
Evaluation Methods: The EBP Implementation and Belief Scale will measure pre- and post-intervention outcomes. Staff involvement will be assessed by measuring the number of questions submitted to the boxes each month.
Evaluation Results: The findings will be presented at the STTI conference in November after all data is collected and analyzed 6 months post implementation.
See more of: Invited Posters