Advancing EBP culture and competencies through an academic-research partnership: Process and outcomes of an EBP scholar program.

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is increasingly being adopted in healthcare organizations to improve patient care and outcomes. Yet, barriers remain that prevent consistent implementation of EBP in clinical settings. To increase EBP competencies and promote practice change, a regional academic-community hospital in Los Angeles, California, jointly with a university school of nursing, developed and implemented an EBP scholar program. A multistep EBP process was delivered during monthly didactic workshops to ensure optimal delivery and acquisition of EBP core competencies. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care was integrated into the curriculum to assist program scholar's efforts to systematically direct EBP implementation at the organizational level. Additional strategies were incorporated including one-to-one mentoring, institutional recognition, and protected time. The 13-item EBP Competency Scale for practicing registered professional nurses was used to measure EBP competency at baseline and post-program completion. Five recruited scholars completed the baseline survey and three completed the postsurvey. EBP competency increased from 52.9% to 62.75%. Scholars submitted abstracts for conference poster presentation, podium presentations, and conference poster awards. One article was submitted and accepted for journal publication. A multistep EBP process can enhance EBP delivery, improve EBP competency, and facilitate dissemination.