Overcoming barriers to implementing evidence-based practice: a collaboration between academics and practice.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare improvement
• Clinical practice enhancement
• Patient safety initiatives

Background:

• Collaborative student-preceptor models can drive practice change.
• Need for standardized oral care protocols in hospitals.
• Importance of robust admission assessments for at-risk patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe two successful student-preceptor collaborative projects.
• To detail the implementation of a hospital-wide oral care protocol.
• To enhance the admission assessment for adult patients at risk of respiratory compromise.

Main Methods:

• Paired student-preceptor teams engaged in quality improvement projects.
• Development and implementation of a hospital-wide oral care protocol.
• Refinement of the admission assessment process for specific patient populations.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of a comprehensive oral care protocol across the hospital.
• Improved admission assessment procedures for adult patients at risk for respiratory compromise.
• Demonstrated effectiveness of collaborative student-preceptor initiatives.

Conclusions:

• Student-preceptor collaborations are effective for implementing practice changes.
• Standardized oral care and enhanced assessments improve patient outcomes.
• Recommendations provided for staff development to support these initiatives.