Continuing education as a catalyst for inter-professional collaboration.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Library and Information Science
• Health Sciences Education

Background:

• Nurses require access to tools and resources for effective evidence-based practice (EBP).
• Librarians play a crucial role in providing resources and teaching information literacy skills to nurses.
• Gaps exist in interdisciplinary collaboration to meet nurses' information needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the need for improved information literacy among nurses.
• To evaluate librarians' preparedness to support evidence-based nursing.
• To present interdisciplinary continuing education initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Conducted symposia on evidence-based nursing in March 2001 and May 2003.
• Involved professional library and nursing organizations.
• Reviewed behavioral and practice changes reported by participants.

Main Results:

• Participants reported changes in behavior and practice following the symposia.
• The interdisciplinary approach aimed to enhance nurses' information literacy.
• The initiative sought to improve librarians' capacity to serve nursing.

Conclusions:

• Continuing education is vital for enhancing nurses' evidence-based practice skills.
• Strengthening the collaboration between librarians and nurses improves access to information.
• Interdisciplinary programs are effective in addressing information needs in healthcare.