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Strategy Submission

Staff RN Perspective on Evidence Supporting Practice

Author:

Dori Taylor Sullivan

PhD, RN, BC, CNA, CPHQ

Title:

Chair, Department of Nursing, Director of Interdisciplinary Studies

Coauthors:

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Institution:

College of Education & Health Professions, Sacred Heart University

Email:

sullivand@sacredheart.edu

Competency Categories:

Evidence-Based Practice

Learner Level(s):

New Graduates/Transition to Practice, Pre-Licensure ADN/Diploma, Pre-Licensure BSN, RN to BSN

Learner Setting(s):

Skills or Simulation Laboratories

Strategy Type:

Case Studies

Learning Objectives:

  • Determine an staff RN’s perspective on the evidence basis for a common nursing intervention
  • Categorize the RN’s response as to the “way of knowing” typology
  • Investigate whether and how the evidence basis for common nursing actions are communicated in a designated organizational setting
  • Make recommendations for improving the evidence basis for the common nursing intervention selected

Strategy Overview:

The basic strategy for this exercise is to provide individual nursing students with the opportunity to observe an RN’s practice then informally interview that nurse as to what evidence supports his/her practice. It is critical that faculty sensitive the student to potential defensive staff reactions – and this exercise is best employed where a relationship already exists between a student and a specific nurse. Role playing a typical interchange of this type as a classroom or clinical laboratory exercise before asking students to complete the assignment is strongly recommended. The attached document details the student assignment and recommended debriefing strategies. This is not a graded assignment.

Submitted Materials:

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Additional Materials:

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Evaluation Description:

This exercise is designed to provide a reality basis to classroom discussions and readings regarding EBP. While some health care organizations have made great strides in integrating EBP, others will be at the very beginning of this initiative. It is important for students to gain an understanding of this reality in nursing practice. Several options are available for debriefing this exercise included: Instructing individual students to report in a reflective log with faculty providing feedback after reviewing the students’ postings Small discussion groups within the classroom or clinical laboratory settings (or a post conference session) can be assigned to compare responses to the questions posed within the assignment with themes reported to the larger group The recommendations for improvement provide a useful focus for relating to the leadership role of RNs within various health care settings
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