Creating infrastructure for supporting nurse engagement in evidence‐based practice at a Veterans Administration Hospital

Abstract

Background

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is foundational to safe and quality health care; however, barriers to nursing engagement in EBP have been well documented. To circumvent these barriers, nursing leadership must proactively implement system-level, multifaceted strategies within their organization to enhance EBP engagement. One Veterans Administration (VA) hospital has operationalized these strategies.

Aims

To provide a description of the multifaceted strategies employed to promote a EBP culture and enhance nurses' engagement with EBP at a VA Hospital.

Conclusions

Although it takes time, nursing leadership can overcome barriers and ensure nurse engagement in EBP at their organizations through implementation of multifaceted, system-wide strategies.