Empowering nursing council implementation science: An appeal to action.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In most hospitals, nursing councils are responsible for EBP implementation and evaluation. To enhance the perceived value of council participation by frontline nurses, administrators must promote the impact of council projects on healthcare outcomes. PURPOSE: The purposes of this appeal to action are to describe the role of nursing councils in promoting IS and EBP, and to provide recommendations that enhance the value of IS and/or EBP councils to frontline nurses, thereby incentivizing participation on these councils. METHODS: Nurse researchers from three metropolitan hospitals partnered with a medical librarian to recommend six strategies aimed at enhancing the perceived value of council participation. An argumentative review was conducted to support these strategies. DISCUSSION: Recommendations are inclusion of methods experts on councils; support from nursing administrators in the development, implementation, and evaluation of projects; formation of partnerships with nursing academic departments; expansion of publication opportunities and availability; and connection of projects to measurable quality indicators. CONCLUSION: Enhancing the perceived value of nursing councils by providing tools that optimize time and resource management can result in greater council participation and broader dissemination of IS evidence.