To describe a unique collaboration between two renowned organizations to provide an evidence-based practice education program and create effective EBP teams to address real world healthcare challenges and drive best practices.
Methods
In a new era of healthcare, success will be achieved through collaborative relationships and development of teams that can deliver evidence-based, patient-centered care to improve healthcare safety, patient and clinician outcomes, and demonstrable returns on investments. The development of evidence-based practice (EBP) knowledge, skills, and attitudes along with creation of organizational cultures and infrastructures that support EBP is a comprehensive strategy that can effectively propel organizations toward achieving and sustaining these goals, meeting required healthcare mandates, and achieving the quadruple aims of healthcare.
Many healthcare organizations have identified that their staff are not competent in EBP as demonstrated by clinicians’ and leaders’ lack of EBP knowledge, skills and attitude. These organizations are seeking opportunities build such competence and capacity in their settings. The Center for Transdisciplinary Evidence-based Practice has worked with a wide range of both clinical and academic organizations to build and sustain EBP with significant results achieved. This session will highlight the innovative work of The Center for Transdisciplinary Evidence-based Practice (CTEP) in advancing EBP through a collaborative relationship with a large, magnet designated Pediatric Health System to create a successful EBP education and follow-up program that is delivering improved care and significant outcomes. The details related to forging an effective relationship between these enterprises to develop and deliver an EBP education program to meet the unique needs of this Health System will be highlighted.
Results
The characteristics of the original education program designed and implemented including: the evidence-based educational pedagogies and interventions utilized to assure the successful sharing od EBP knowledge and skills; the multiple tracks offered with specific content for different practitioners (front-line clinicians, EBP mentors, educators, organizational leaders) and; the structured follow-up sessions utilized to reinforce knowledge acquisition and promote implementation of EBP initiatives. The impact of planned discussions between the collaborating entities, that led to onoing customization of the education program as EBP capacity at the Health System was forming, then growing and ultimately performing, with also be presented.
Conclusions
An innovative, customized, and robust EBP education program with structured follow up can build EBP competence in a complex nursing department. The EBP teams forged in this program utilize an evidence-based problem solving approach, recommend effective strategies to implement to address strategic nursing challenges, and lead others in implementing best practices. Lessons learned from this collaborative experience that can inform future EBP programs in other organizations