The PNS Evidence-Based Practice and Research Committee, co-chaired by Janice Phillips and Mary Heitschmidt, both members of the Center for Clinical Research and Scholarship (CCRS), had another busy year providing a forum for transformational research mentorship and innovation to promote nursing and multidisciplinary research and evidence-based practice (EBP) through the professional practice model, in congruence with the system strategic plan.
Many members of this committee also serve on other unit and PNS committees such as the RUMC Magnet, DAC and UAC Committees where they provide communication about scholarly resources, upcoming regional conferences and activities that may be of interest to other RUMC Nurses.
Some of the highlights for FY 20 include the following:
- The number of participants in the online journal club continues to increase. Karine Otten led the initiative of adding the On-Line Journal Club to MyApps, increasing the ways that nurses could access the online journal club activities and receive free CE’s.
- Applications from RUMC clinical nurses for the 2019 PNS EBP/Research Grant were electronically graded by the PNS EBP/Research committee and winners were announced during the Nurses Week celebration sponsored by the PNS Rewards and Recognition Committee.
- The first-place application was awarded funding from PNS and four other top applications also received funding from CCRS. Mentoring to the clinical nurses on these projects is provided by CCRS and College of Nursing faculty Beth Staffileno, Janice Phillips and Mary Heitschmidt. Two of the project winners and Meghan Muir are mentored by Ms. Staffileno.
- The purpose of Ms. Muir’s quality improvement project was to provide families with young children with outpatient fever education to 1) increase parental fever knowledge, and 2) decrease avoidable outpatient and ER visits. The project was implemented in the Rush University Medical Group - South Loop ambulatory pediatric primary care clinic from November 2019 through March 2020. A pre-post design assessed parental knowledge and confidence levels after receiving fever management education. Overall parental confidence improved by 44.5% and every parent correctly recognized a fever as 100.4 F.
- The objective of Ms. Maidlow’s ongoing study was to gather information about health literacy and perceptions of clinical trial participation from patients with lymphoma. This descriptive study is designed to better understand barriers to participation in clinical trials through assessing cancer health literacy level and knowledge, receptivity and attitudes of patients with lymphoma towards participation in clinical trials.
- A record number of applications for podium and poster presentations were received for the first Chicagoland area Rush System Research and EBP Symposium that was held on February 25, 2020 at the NIU Conference Center in Naperville, Illinois.
- The symposium theme, Igniting Innovation: Continuing Florence Nightingale’s Vision for Nursing, was chosen by the systemwide planning committee, chaired by Mary Heitschmidt, to highlight the Year of the Nurse and Nurse Midwife. Over 180 symposium attendees listened to keynote speaker, Bonnie Clipper, a nationally recognized expert in innovation, questioned podium/panel speakers, networked during the poster viewing sessions, and judged the five clinical nursing pitches during the first Rush Shark Tank Event. Fred Brown, from RUMC, was the winner of the Rush Nursing Pitch Competition. Attendees commented that the symposium was an empowering and amazing day.