Neonatal advanced practice nurses as key facilitators in implementing evidence-based practice.

e vIDeNCe-BASeD PRACTICe (eBP) is a process that utilizes the best available evidence, expert opinion, and patient preference to guide clinical practice decisions. Although the process itself is relatively straightforward and understandable (See Five Steps of evidence-Based Practice), implementation requires an infrastructure and knowledge base that can support all five steps of the eBP process. Many nurses do not have these supports available and therefore may not be equipped to incorporate eBP in their practice. The Nursing Informatics expert Panel of the American Academy of Nursing conducted a nationwide study to determine if nurses were prepared to implement eBP. The survey included 1,097 randomly selected nurses. More than half were not familiar with the term " evidence-based practice, " and 34.5 percent felt that they seldom or only occasionally needed information in their practice. Most did not use information sources such as Medline or CINAHL, and almost half stated that their print, electronic, and other resources were inadequate. Although more than half reported they did not believe their colleagues use research findings in practice, their most frequent source of information was a colleague or peer. 1 This is at odds with findings indicating that evidence-based care is associated with a 28 percent improvement in patient outcomes, 2 that evidence based care can reduce the 17-year time gap from generation of research results to implementation in the clinical setting, 3 and that clinicians who implement eBP have greater satisfaction with their roles than those who do not. When introduced to eBP, nurses recognize that the process offers the opportunity to improve their care at the bedside. However, their enthusiasm and motivation often cannot be sustained through the daily demands of the job and the difficult tasks of searching for and evaluating evidence, implementing new clinical practices, and evaluating outcomes. eBP mentors can be key to initiating and sustaining eBP in institutions. Research indicates that nurses who are mentored by colleagues with expertise in eBP come to believe in eBP, gain confidence in integrating it into their practice, and help promote its implementation. 6 The Advancing Research and Clinical Practice through Close Collaboration (ARCC) Program was developed to promote eBP. 7 One of the key elements of the ARCC model is eBP mentors (See Key Components of the ARCC Model). An expert advanced practice nurse (APN) who is experienced in eBP takes on the role of mentor and guides others through the …