Nursing Research

The Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and Research Department was established to help nurses make use of evidence-based practice while acknowledging that it is often difficult to leave the patient care unit. EBP is defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in decision making. It customizes worker experience with the various forms of evidence to the specific problem/situation under investigation.

To bring EBP learning to busy nurses, there is a journal club, classes on how to create poster presentations and an EBP/Research cart that can transport information to patient care units.

Practicums in EPB and Research

The department also sponsors practical workshops in EBP Fellowships and Research Fellowships that walk participants through the process of nursing research opportunities.

The EBP Fellowship sessions include:

Asking the right EBP questions
Searching for evidence through literature reviews and compiling evidence from those searches
Learning how to prioritize the strength, quality, quantity and consistency of evidence
Designing a proposal to support or change clinical practice as well as a proposal presentation

The Research Fellowship sessions include:

Defining the purpose of research and categorizing research questions and terminology
Problems in research and the literature review process
Formulating research questions and hypotheses and the ethics of research
Research design and sampling, data management and statistical analysis
Research proposal development

Nurse participation in research

Nurses at Children's not only participate in research, they lead research as well. Twenty-six nurses reported that they participated and/or led research programs in 2008, while eight nurses authored or co-authored published articles during the year.