Journal des soins infirmiers et des soins

Tailoring an Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship to Meet Learning Needs of Bedside Nurses

Abstract

Donna J. Plonczynski and Donna Kruse

The ability for nurses to practice to the fullest level of their education and expertise in order to optimize patient care is an ideal vision for nursing practice. While healthcare quality has improved over the past decades, delays continue in transferring current information from research to patient care. Many nurses are not experienced in transferring research into practice. This paper describes the process for planning, implementing and evaluating the evidence-based practice (EBP) Fellowship that transferred these critical skills to five bedside nurses. All five Fellows implemented evidence in their area of practice with significant positive changes in patient outcomes. The results from the Fellowship indicate that we met and exceeded the goals of transferring the knowledge, skills and attitudes for EBP to bedside nurses. Unexpected outcomes included the development of leadership and presentation skills as all five of the Fellows disseminated the results of their successful projects regionally and nationally.