Paper
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
This presentation is part of : Pride and Prejudice: Integrating EBP Into a Graduate Curriculum
Integrating EBP into a Graduate Nursing Curriculum: Challenges and Strategies
Lillie M. Shortridge-Baggett, RN, EdD, FAAN, FNAP, Center for Nursing Research, Clinical Practice, and International Affairs, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY, USA

Integrating EBP into a Graduate Nursing Curriculum: Challenges and Strategies

Revising nursing curricula at any level is a challenge and requires effective strategies to achieve sustained change. Although the champions of such change desire prompt action, this is difficult to accomplish in an academic setting. Revising a nursing curriculum to include evidence-based practice (EBP) required a plan that included several steps: a) having informal discussions with faculty about EBP, b) having programs with outside known experts on EBP as the speakers, c) sending several faculty members to national workshops on the topic, d) disseminating EBP literature, e) holding faculty forums to discuss the EBP, f) presenting at conferences, including international ones, and g) keeping an open ear and mind to all faculty concerns. In addition, specific strategies for including EBP in core and specialty courses were newly developed or adapted from those used by others. Having a visiting scholar and consultant meet with the faculty to assist with curriculum revisions was necessary and helpful. Obtaining funding for an EBP initiative for faculty and curriculum development as wells as to study the outcomes of using EBP in the clinical setting was very valuable in effecting the change.