Cultivating evidence-based practice through mentorship

Nurses' use of evidence-based practice (EBP) improves patient outcomes through provision of optimal patient care.

The Evidence-Based Practice Mentorship Program (EBPMP) is a self-directed, year-long immersion program implemented for staff nurses to experience the EBP process with close mentor support. The aim of this program is to bolster a culture of EBP at a single large pediatric quaternary care hospital in the Northeast.

A total of 81 nurses across 4 cohorts participated in this organization wide program from 2016 to 2019. To date the program has produced 46 internally and externally disseminated EBP projects. Of the graduates, 7-nurse mentees have become formal EBPMP mentor's, 3 have applied and been accepted into the organizational based Nursing Science Fellowship to carry out clinical inquiry projects to fill important literary gaps, and 6 have received promotions or career advancements. Most importantly, graduates have anecdotally reported that program participation inspired deeper critical reflection of patient care.

Utilizing mentorship to facilitate EBP was a key educational strategy for the busy mentors and mentees, as many of the nurse participants were direct care providers. This self-directed program resulted in a high project completion rate leading to continued organizational support for the program, which is now in its fourth year.