Description/Overview: Even though research has supported that evidence-based practice (EBP) improves the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes, long time lags exist between the generation of research and its implementation into real world practice settings with EBP still not being the standard of practice by nurses across the globe. The lack of specific EBP competencies for practicing nurses and advanced practice nurses impedes institutions from implementing and sustaining high-value, low cost evidence-based healthcare. This symposium will describe the development of a set of specific EBP competencies practicing nurses and advanced practice nurses in real world practice settings. Strategies for implementing the EBP competencies in healthcare systems will be highlighted along with a real-life example of a healthcare facility that has begun implementation. Recommendations for future research will be highlighted throughout the presentation.