This course is designed to guide you to the development of a proposal for an evidence-based practice change or quality improvement project. Your assignments are designed to move you through the EBP process. To keep you focused on your progress, many assignments, including this one, include a clipboard graphic that indicates which of the EBP proposal elements you are completing with that assignment.
Each assignment will also indicate which of the Melnyk et al. (2010) steps you are satisfying with that assignment. In that regard, you have already begun by being curious, and this assignment directs you to ask the clinical question. In future assignments, you will search for the best evidence, appraise that evidence, and use that evidence to support the approach your project advocates. Then you will make decisions about how to evaluate the results of your project and share your findings with the wider nursing community. As you work on each part, be sure you refer back to your original question and the research you have gathered along the way. You’ll find that everything works together to build a cohesive EBP or QI project.
Requirements
In a document of between 700 and 1100 words (3 to 4 pages), identify an evidence-based problem from a clinical setting (such as long-term care, home care, or community agency). Develop a well-written clinical question using the PICOT, PICO, or PIO method (P = Population, I = Implementation, C= Comparison, O = Outcome, T = Time). This question will help to guide your search for the evidence involved in your EBP or QI project proposal.
In your assignment, be sure to include the following:
An introduction to the problem, including your personal connection to this problem and a brief summary of relevant background information
Information about the population who will be affected by the resulting project
Relationship of one of the theoretical or conceptual models to your study of this problem
A well-written PICOT/PICO/PIO question, including your rationale for why this is an EBP or QI question and not a research question
An assessment of the feasibility of, and potential barriers to, the change you're proposing
Identification of the stakeholders involved in the practice change or quality improvement (for example, the agency from whom you would need permission to complete the project)
A note about the question: Learners sometimes have problems writing an EBP/QI question but write a research question instead. An EBP/QI question should never use the words how or why. Those terms belong in a research question. Your question should acknowledge that evidence already exists. Below are some examples.
Instead of asking:
How does the use of kangaroo care help increase infant weight gain? (a research question)
You will ask:
Will nurses (P) who attend a class on the practice change of using kangaroo care (I) score higher on a post-class test than on a pretest given before the class (O)?
Instead of asking:
What is the effectiveness of a pressure injury prevention bundle for adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients? (a research question)
You will ask:
In adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients (P), will the implementation of a pressure injury prevention bundle (I) compared to receiving standard pressure injury prevention (C) reduce the incidence of pressure injuries (O) after two months (T)?
Instead of asking:
What is the relationship between self-reported job satisfaction among nurses and turnover intentions? (a research question)
You will ask:
Among nursing staff in a large urban hospital (P), will a decrease in the patient-to-nurse ratio (I) reduce RN turnover (O) after eight months (T)?
Be sure to proofread your assignment before submission for overall organization, clarity, and proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation according to APA Style guidelines. [MO 2.4]
