Monday, September 12, 2005

EBP - The Magnet Pathway

Kathleen Hudson, in her article From research to practice on the magnet pathway describes how develop a structure within the hospital environment that uses evidence-based practice (EBP) to establish best practices. She describes the four components:
  • EBP steering committee
  • EBP committee and specialty focus teams
  • nursing policy and procedure committee
  • nursing research committee
With each of these in place, the organization is most likely to foster an environment of ongoing staff development and ultimately attract high quality nurses to this professional environment. To fully embrace this requires "supportive leadership, facilitative library and literature resources, paid time away from the bedside seeking new research, and supported implementation of findings into practice through local change agents."

Hudson, K (2005). From research to practice on the Magnet pathway. Nurs Manage. 2005 Mar;36(3):33-7.

Friday, September 09, 2005

YSN Library September 12 - September 16

These are the hours that I will be in the Nursing Library this week.
Questions, comments, concerns, please email me: janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 9/12
8:30 - 5:00
Class: 5:00-6:00pm RSS and Blogs (TCC Medical Library)

Tuesday 9/13
Call Medical Library for assistance - 737-4065

Wednesday 9/14
Call Medical Library for assistance - 737-4065


Thursday 9/15
Call Medical Library for assistance - 737-4065
Class: 11:00-12:00pm RefWorks Basics (TCC Medical Library)
Class: 12:15-1:15pm Ovid Refresher (TCC Medical Library)

Friday 9/16
8:30 - 5:00
Class: 10:00-11:00pm RefWorks Basics (TCC Medical Library)
Class: 11:15-12:15pm Ovid Refresher (TCC Medical Library)

Other Library Classes

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Are US Nurses Ready for EBP?

Evidence-based practice is not just the domain of physicians, but a very important part of the role of nurses.

A study recently published in AJN exmines nurses' perceptions about their skill level in accessing the tools available for EBP as well as their access to these tools.

Study findings concluded that nurses acknowldege that they need information for effective practice but:
  • they are not prepared to use information resources available to them
  • have little or no training in how to use resources
  • did not understand the value of research
  • are generally unprepared for a practice built on evidence
Some of this can be attributed to technological changes, as well as nursing program's failure to prepare students for an evidence based practice, and the principals that are involved in EBP.

The article concludes that RNs in the United States are not prepared for EBP. The authors call for a paradigm change in nursing education programs. They also recommend that nursing administrators lobby within their organizations for resources, time, and training to support and integrate evidence based research into practice.

Pravikoff D.S. et al. Readiness of U.S. Nurses for Evidence-Based Practice: Many don't understand or value research and have had little or no training to help them find evidence on which to base their practice. Am J Nurs. 2005 Sep;105(9):40-51.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Evidence Based Practice

"Evidence based medicine (EBM) is a systematic approach to clinical problem solving which allows the integration of the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values."

The use of EBM has become the tenet of practitioners in all areas of medicine.

This recent journal article series gives a clear and concise overview of the principles of EBM. Discussion centers on:
  • the 5-step EBP model
  • understanding randomised controlled trials
  • understanding systematic reviews and meta-analysis
  • evidence in practice
Akobend A.K. Principles of evidence based medicine. Arch Dis Child. 2005 Aug;90(8):837-40.

Friday, September 02, 2005

YSN Library September 6 - September 9

These are the hours that I will be in the Nursing Library this week.
Questions, comments, concerns, please email me: janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 9/6
University Holiday

Tuesday 9/7
2:30 - 5:00

Wednesday 9/8
8:30 - 5:00
Class: 4:00-5:00pm RefWorks Basics (TCC Medical Library)

Thursday 9/9
Call Medical Library for assistance - 737-4065
Class: 1:00-2:00pm EndNote Basics (TCC Medical Library)

Friday 9/10
Call Medical Library for assistance - 737-4065

Other Library Classes

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Web-based Clinician Education

It seems that if you're not offering it in web-based format, your just not cutting edge!

The AHRQ, National Safety Foundation, and the Medical College of Wisconsin have created patient safety materials that are accessed via the web. Materials are focused on the different constituents including physicians, nurses, and patients, each with their own website.

The nursing topics include:
  • an ethical imperitive
  • changing the system and the culture
  • breaking down barriers
  • impact of a close call reporting system
  • learning from error
  • resporting error and follow-up
  • the proactive approach to error
  • health literacy
  • technology and the nurse
  • implications of the patient safety movement
  • staffing
  • geriatric nursing
  • home healthcare
We may have seen it before, but this is a very creative format. Well worth clicking through!

For other National Patient Safety Organisation information see their Patient Safety Resources web page.