Learning Objective #1: Apply strategies from this session to create regional communities of nurses working together on evidence-based practice

Learning Objective #2: Discuss strengths and limitations of holding regional invitationals

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Providing human milk for infants who are born preterm or otherwise ill is critical in improving outcomes. This session will describe a breast milk invitational forum that could be duplicated in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) globally to improve use of human milk and breastfeeding. Thirty regional hospitals were invited to a breast milk invitational at our level three children's hospital. Regional hospitals were selected based on geographic proximity and volume of transfers to our unit. The format was chosen to promote conversation between NICUs and to ultimately improve care in institutions that transfer infants to our unit. The objectives of the invitational were to 1) establish a forum for discussion regarding the use of human milk in vulnerable infants, 2) identify evidence based guidelines for pumping, 3) identify evidence based guidelines for handling and storage of human milk, 4) identify strategies for facilitating breastfeeding in vulnerable populations, and 5) identify strategies to facilitate transition to breast. Letters were mailed to the nurse managers inviting them to send two clinical nurse leaders to the invitational two months in advance with phone follow-up for non-respondents. The invitation yielded 44 participants from 19 hospitals (63%) with seven hospitals providing no response and the remaining four requesting to be included in future events. There was no charge for the participants to attend the event. Continuing nursing education credits were provided for participants. The evaluation of the invitational by participants was extremely positive with the average score of meeting the objectives equally 4.5/5.0 scale. Participants were enthusiastic about the opportunity to have discussion among nurse leaders in their region. The next regional invitational date is set. This model can serve as a template for other institutions to utilize to improve evidence based practice in their own institutions and other institutions in their region.