Helping Leaders Learn EBP and Recognize Their EBP Potential

Today’s healthcare environment is increasingly complex and ever changing.  Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been identified as a critical requirement to achieve the Triple Aim in healthcare. Although it is well established that evidence-based practice (EBP) improves healthcare quality and patient outcomes as well as reduces morbidities, mortality, medical errors, and costs of healthcare services, it is not standard practice by the majority health professionals in healthcare systems. Many healthcare providers, across the care continuum, continue to deliver care based upon tradition, outdated policies and procedures, and information learned years ago in their educational programs. It is essential for healthcare organizations to transform their institutions to evidence-based enterprises by deeply integrating EBP into their day to day operations, culture, and work environments to meet national goals, exceed benchmarks, and provide high quality care to patients, families, and the community. Many challenges related to implementing and sustaining EBP stem from a lack of EBP knowledge, skills, and attitudes in not only bedside clinicians, but in leaders as well. Nursing leaders are responsible to guide and support clinicians through the transformation to an evidence-based approach to care to ensure excellence and outstanding outcomes. This requires proficiency in traditional leadership practices as well as new knowledge and skills related EBP that must acquired, in order to create work environments/cultures that sustain evidence-based practice. Educational opportunities must be developed that resonate with contemporary nursing leaders and increase their confidence to lead, role model, and support and advance EBP throughout their organization. Leaders’ innovative approaches to resource allocation and utilization (people, processes, technology) can be leveraged to create and sustain an EBP rich work environment.  The unique possibilities that exist for leaders to utilize their style, position, resources, and their scope of influence to promote and sustain an EBP culture and environment will be explored.