Translating infant safe sleep evidence into nursing practice

The authors describe a 4-year demonstration project (2004-2007) to reduce infant deaths related to sleep environments by changing attitudes and practices among nurses who work with African American parents and caregivers in urban Michigan hospitals. An approach was developed for creating sustainable change in nursing practice by implementing nursing practice policies that could be monitored through quality improvement processes already established within the hospital organization. Following the policy change effort, nurses changed their behavior and placed infants on the back to sleep.