A favorite quote attributed to Margaret Mead best describes a quintessential outcome of ongoing collaboration: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." A powerful motivator, but how does one translate such a statement into action and visible, measurable outcomes? This session will present exemplar groups of nurses who collaborate with one another and with other health care professionals to advance practice based on evidence both across all areas within their institution and across institutions & agencies within their communities. The Nursing Research Council (NRC) at one academic medical center includes not only staff nurse representatives, but also advanced practice nurses, the dean of the college of nursing, and a librarian. Having gained confidence within the Council, NRC members are reaching out to ‘labor together’ with other colleagues to change policy and practice. Catching the passion for professional nursing from their chief nursing officer and a nurse faculty member with a joint appointment, members of the Professional Practice Committee at another teaching hospital have invited nurse colleagues from other community agencies to initiate a consortium to advance nursing research and evidence-based practice. Both advanced practice nurses and staff nurses from several local agencies who belong to the same Sigma Theta Tau chapter are collaborating to sponsor a Nursing Summit that will incorporate local chapters from several nursing specialties. At the local level, the ongoing and evolving collaboration within and among these groups is indeed ‘changing the world’.

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