SPOTLIGHT: Vicki Sandlin, MSN, RN, CCRP
Nursing Research Office
Research Nurse Specialist III
Type of project: Research/Quality Improvement
Title of project: Assessing Attitudes and Use of Evidence Among Nurse Managers
Co-workers involved in project: Nancy Wells, DNSc, RN, FAAN; Debbie Arnow, DNP, RN
Description of project: An electronic survey was administered to nurse managers to assess attitudes and barriers to using evidence-based practice (EBP) and resource use. We also wanted to assess whether managers would be interested in an EBP education program.
Why you chose this project: We survey VUMC staff nurses every 2 years to assess their EBP needs, but we have not looked at what the managers need in order to role model EBP behaviors and help their staff use evidence at the bedside. Debbie Arnow started this project in the Children’s Hospital and decided to expand it to the adult units before she left the organization. We thought it was important to continue her work and see what we could learn from the managers in order to better serve their needs. We learned that managers value evidence-based practice yet may not be making decisions based on the evidence. This gives us an opportunity to develop education and resources to improve managers use of evidence in their own practice and to help them be better able to support their staff nurses use evidence in patient care.
Poster presentations:
- Assessing Attitudes and Use of Evidence Among Nurse Managers - Tennessee Hospital Association, Nashville, TN - October 30, 2012.
If you have any questions about Vicki's project please email the Nursing Research Office at Nursing.Research@vanderbilt.edu