Rona Faye Levin, PhD, RN, Center for Nursing Research, Clinical Practice and International Affairs, Lienhard School of Nursing, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY, USA and Ellen Fineout-Overholt, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
This presentation will focus on the evolution a collaboration across the state of New York and across Arizona. The New York collaboration began with the New York State Nurses’ Association (NYSNA) Council on Nursing Research and the Foundation of New York State Nurses in the 1980’s. The more than fifteen year collaboration between these two organizations culminated in a realistic action plan to advance nursing research and evidence-based practice (EBP) across the state, The New York State Nursing Research Agenda. Their vision for collaboration among organizations resulted in the first academic partnership between a state nurses association and a school of nursing, with another academic institution and medical center joining in the statewide effort to advance EBP through testing the ARCC (Advancing Research and Clinical Practice through Close Collaboration) model in both acute care settings and a community setting. This collaboration continues across state lines, since two of the participants from one collaborating university have now moved out of state. These two collaborators began their own version of a state-wide collaborative initiative, called the Arizona Consortium to Advance EBP (AZCAEP). There are more than 50 healthcare agencies represented from acute care, primary care and community settings. All specialties are represented from pediatrics to geriatrics, behavioral health and education. Discussion will include how this initiative began, the outcomes associated with its success, and ongoing joint projects that span the state of Arizona.