Paper
Thursday, 20 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Nursing Education Projects and Studies
Evaluation of Improvement Projects in Evidence-Based Education
Mary Kirkpatrick, RN, EdD, Adult Health Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
Learning Objective #1: describe at least two evidenced based improvement projects (EBIP's) and steps that can be used for learners at vaious levels of their education.
Learning Objective #2: delineate findings from this pilot study that have implications for using EBIP's for nursing education worldwide.
Numerous issues in nursing education lend themselves to improvement projects which learners at all levels synergistically can conduct. Improvement projects foster ascertaining the best evidence for changes needed to reform nursing. Objective: This presentation focuses on the evaluative data from the use of evidence based improvement projects (EBIP's). The purpose of this presentation is to illuminate the improvement project as one way to integrate evidence based education. Specific aims are to describe the host of improvement projects that are needed in nursing education, delineate the 8 steps and processes of the improvement project, and project evaluative measures of its effectiveness. Numerous professional organizations support the use of interdisciplinary EB education (NLN, 2005; AACN, 2005; IOM, 2001). The conceptual framework as designed by Lekain- Rutledge and McConnell (2003), Robert's (1998) innovation/diffusion model and change theory (2000) under gird the use of EBIP’s. Methodology consists of the evaluation of both undergraduate and graduate students who received a course assignment to engage in an EBIP. Learners were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the IP to meet course objectives and their perspective of the outcomes of the evidence based nursing education. Findings: Results of two semesters of courses (N=25 learners) indicate that EBIP facilitate meeting course objectives, challenge learners at various levels and are received well by the learner. Improvement projects are self directional/inquiry learning approaches. Learners are challenged to critically/reflectively think about solutions and outcomes of their improvements suggested and learn to search the literature for the best evidence. Implications: This project has major implications globally for integrating evidence based education into the curriculum. Learners at all levels can engage in searching the literature for reviews, meta-analyses, scientific studies, guidelines, position statements, and expert opinions. Nursing sensitive outcomes are facilitated through the use of EBIP's.

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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)