Enhancing Clinical Outcomes by Scaling Up Evidence-Based Practices: A Global Collaboration

Saturday, 27 July 2019

Heather McConnell, MA (Ed), BScN, RN
International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines Centre, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), Toronto, ON, Canada

A professional, voluntary nursing association in Ontario, Canada leads a world renowned initiative of Best Practice Guideline (BPG) development and an innovative implementation program, targeted at the individual, organizational and system level. The signature implementation strategy of this program supports quality improvement through interprofessional collaboration and a focus on the implementation, evaluation, sustainability and scaling up of BPGs to promote clinical excellence and enhanced outcomes. The Best Practice Spotlight Organization® designation program - BPSO® - with over 700 sites worldwide - has engaged organizations, both service and academic, in Canada, Australia, Belgium, Chile, China, Colombia, Italy, Jamaica, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar and Spain.

A methodology incorporating both implementation science and social movement principles has been utilized to guide this work. Integrating BPGs into practice is informed by the Knowledge-to-Action framework, which takes a systems perspective and recognizes that implementation is a social process within interprofessional teams, with the adaptation of research evidence to take local context and culture into account. Strategies foundational to this program include access to credible evidence-based resources (BPGs); relevant implementation enablers; capacity development with interprofessional staff; engagement of administrative and clinical leaders. and collaboration with partners. Coaching by implementation science experts and mentorship by experienced BPSO leaders contributes to networking, partnerships, learning and global collaboration. The program has purposefully fostered a sense of shared ownership and a nurturing of collective identity among participants and stakeholders at all levels. This includes an emphasis on a transparent, engaging, and motivational approach that encourages identification with, and active participation in the program.

This presentation will highlight the experiences of Best Practice Spotlight Organizations (BPSOs) from across the globe as they utilize an established methodology incorporating both implementation science and social movement principles to scale up evidence-based practices and collaboratively create rich cultures of professional nursing practice to improve client and provider outcomes.