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Strategy Submission
Evidence Based Practice (EBP) Project Guidelines and Grading Criteria
Author:
Dori Taylor Sullivan
PhD, RN, BC, CNA, CPHQ
Title:
Chair, Department of Nursing, Director of Interdisciplinary Studies
Coauthors:
Anne M. Barker, EdD, RN, Associate Professor of Nursing, Sacred Heart University
Institution:
College of Education & Health Professions, Sacred Heart University
Email:
Competency Categories:
Evidence-Based Practice
Learner Level(s):
Graduate Students, New Graduates/Transition to Practice, Pre-Licensure ADN/Diploma, Pre-Licensure BSN, RN to BSN
Learner Setting(s):
Classroom, Clinical Setting
Strategy Type:
General Strategy
Learning Objectives:
Identify an EBP questions for the project focus
Search the literature to identify best current evidence
Organize and synthesize the best current evidence identifying gaps, commonalities, and variations.
Recommend continuation of current practice or a change in practice based on the evidence.
Design a plan changing or reinforcing the recommended practice, including an evaluation component.
Work effectively as a contributing team member to the project group
Strategy Overview:
The EBP project is designed to simulate the practice environment by assigning work teams who compose an EBP question then plan the team’s work to access and evaluate the evidence with the goal of recommending reinforcement of current practice or a change in practice. This exercise has been used in both undergraduate and graduate groups with success, although the level of expectations related to project criteria are higher for graduate students. For pre-licensure students, additional oversight of the topic selection and EBP question formation are strongly advised.
Submitted Materials:
Additional Materials:
Evaluation Description:
The evaluation methods for grading are included in the second document attached. Students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels have been able to complete this project within a semester course, although it is critical that the teams get organized early on and finalize an EBP question to focus the project. Students (especially RN to BSN and graduate-level) sometimes have difficulty making the change to considering the evidence for practice versus a traditional research question and proposed study. However, that is a critical part of the learning outcomes for this exercise. Within a values context of service-learning, when possible student teams have identified real-world EBP situations and make contributions to a given healthcare agency through their work. Online students have expressed some concerns about team coordination, however, the overall response to this project assignment has been very positive and generated much enthusiasm from faculty and students.
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