Learning Objective #1: Identify education strategies to promote evidence-based practice at the bedside

Learning Objective #2: Identify evidence-based practice education needs within his/her own organization

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In the fall of 2004, the first evidence-based practice course was developed and taught. Education needs were determined after discussions with the educator groups, the clinical advancement program committee and one-on-one staff discussions. The response was overwhelming and many had to be placed on a waiting list for the 2005 courses. A likert scale was created to evaluate the course content. The purpose of the course was to introduce the bedside nurse to the concept and language of evidence-based practice and emphasize the relationship between evidence-based care and clinical outcome. In addition to the basic introduction course, a series of workshop courses will be offered in 2005 allowing the attendee to focus on the needs of his/her home unit and to support the requirements for advancement within the clinical advancement program. The main comment or concern on the evaluation forms for the introducation class, was time away from the unit to work on evidence-based projects. The research department was able to secure an edowment from the Dudley L. Moore family to support nursing and allied health research within the institution. This fund is management by the nursing research and outcomes manager. The committee meets twice a year to review grant applications and will pay for the principle investigators time. The unit nurse manager then has funds to use a resource or float nurse to replace the principle investigator (unit nurse) while he/she is working on his/her project. Our first award cycle (fall of 2004) resulted in three applications with one being funded outright and the other two requiring additional information before a decision was reached.