UMSN Faculty Keynote Evidence-Based Practice Conference

“I’m not here to give answers. I’m here to start a conversation,” said Dr. Sales.

“What happens after you do an evidence-based project [EBP]?” University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN) Professor Anne Sales, Ph.D., RN, asked an audience of more than 100 nursing professionals.

“Evidence-based practice is essential for nurses to be confident that the care they’re providing is the highest quality possible and will do the most good for patients. Initiating EBP isn’t enough—until we make sure that it gets fully implemented into practice, we’ve only gone part of the way on the journey to safer, high-quality care,” said Dr. Sales.

Translating an EBP into policy and sustaining it was a consistent theme through the 15th Annual Evidence-Based Practice Conference: Building a Solid Foundation on March 15 held in Ann Arbor. The daylong conference began with UMSN Clinical Assistant Professor Dana Tschannen Ph.D., RN, presenting “Commonalities/Differences between EBP, Quality Improvement, and Research.”

“Nurses play an integral role in the delivery of high-quality care,” said Dr. Tschannen. “Nurses at the bedside need to continue to ask the question, ‘Why are we doing it this way?’”

The comprehensive conference included a variety of breakout sessions aimed at nursing professionals with a variety of evidence-based experience. Some sessions were dedicated to helping novices get started on a project while others were led by investigators who shared their own challenges and successes. Lack of resources and support from co-workers and leaders were identified as common obstacles to implementing and sustaining EPB, along with policy and institutional barriers.

Speakers stressed the importance of having a champion for the cause and building a team to support the effort. They shared examples of clinicians recognizing opportunities and using evidence to transform practice in multiple settings. Strategies to target the obstacles were also shared.

“Evidence-based practice helps us solve clinical problems with research based solutions,” said Dr. Tschannen. “When we approach practice with a sense of inquiry, we will discover opportunities for further research and EBP, which will ultimately result in the improvement of patient care.”