The Role of the EBP Leader in a Magnet Organization

Purpose

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem solving approach to clinical practice that integrates the conscientious use of best evidence in combination with a clinician’s expertise as well as patient preferences and values to make decisions about the type of care that is provided. Leaders are responsible to create healthcare work environments where EBP can thrive, and as such, must possess an additional set of EBP knowledge, skills and attitudes that form the foundation of evidence-based leadership. Evidence-based leadership is a problem solving approach to leading and influencing organizations or groups to achieve a common goal that integrates the conscientious use of best evidence with leadership expertise and stakeholder preferences and values. By embracing EBP as the foundation of decision making and care decisions, role modeling EBP, and creating cultures and environments that integrate and sustain EBP, evidence-based leaders build work environments where EBP can not only arrive, but survive and thrive. Many organizations and leaders are struggling to find effective mechanisms to truly change their cultures and work environments to leverage their internal resources when attempting to shift from a tradition-based care culture to an evidence-based practice culture.

Most organizations fail to engage external EBP experts and resources available to inform their journey and enhance their success. This session will present the experiences of a nurse leader that intentionally and systematically engaged both internal stakeholders and an external expert to promote integration of EBP into the organization in creative ways.

One tool that can be implemented in healthcare organizations to promote use of EBP by health care clinicians is integration of essential EBP competencies that have been determined through rigorous research. These EBP competencies help organizations understand what is expected of clinicians, develop mechanisms to build EBP knowledge and skills, measure achievement of each competency and hold clinicians accountable to this professional expectation. In addition, organizations can

Magnet organizations are expected to integrate evidence-based practice and research into clinical and operational processes and support national patient safety initiatives. Implementing  the safest and best practices for the care of patients is a constantly evolving process that requires individual EBP knowledge, skills,  as well as organizational structures and process designed to provide resources and environments that support the EBP process from clinical inquiry to implementation, outcomes measurement, and dissemination.  Strategies for how the journey to Magnet designation can be leveraged as a facilitator for introducing, integrating and sustaining EBP in an organization will be discussed.   

Methods

This presentation will highlight importance of engaged leadership in the successful EBP journey Vision, strategic planning, persistence, innovation as well as cost effective practical approaches to the incorporation of EBP into the practice environment will be discussed.  Models to promote EBP from influential organizations are presented such as IOM, IHI Magnet and others.

Outcomes

Effective strategies for integration of multipronged approaches to support the enculturation of integration of evidence in decision making and practice by clinical staff will be provided.