Description/Overview: The face of nursing education is changing. Nurses are required to think differently about their work. External agencies are imposing new expectations on healthcare organizations (e.g., Magnet, Institute of Medicine, American Association of College of Nursing) that require a new perspective on achieving healthcare outcomes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the paradigm that facilitates this transition. Educators must prepare the nurses of the future to be evidence-based practitioners, incorporating the best available science, clinical evidence, their expertise and patients’ preferences and values into the decision-making at the bedside. This symposium is designed to provide the participants information about 1) what it takes to integrate EBP across an academic nursing curriculum; 2) how to evaluate that integration with objective outcomes and 3) the innovative leadership required to achieve a seamless transition from academic learning to clinical application.

Learner Objective #1: Describe the essentials of integrating EBP into nursing curricula.

Learner Objective #2: Discuss the role of community of practice, evaluation and leadership in achieving successful integration of EBP.