Evidenced-Based Practice Staff Nurse Fellowship

The Nursing Research and Translation Committee is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the second Cohort of the Staff Nurse Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship.  The goals of the Fellowship program are to:

• Increase individual staff nurse knowledge around evidence-based practice, implementation, and quality improvement.
• Improve quality of care for patients by implementing evidence-based care to address an area of concern.
• Continue to grow the nursing culture at UMHS to value evidence-based practice and to be leaders in this work.

The Fellowship provides an opportunity for staff nurses to take a clinical idea through the evidence-based practice process with support and guidance provided by institutional leaders and leading experts in the field.  The Fellowship will be composed of a mixture of classroom education, self-learning, and dedicated work time. Content that will be covered in the fellowship includes:  finding, critiquing, and synthesizing research articles; implementation strategies to ensure success; and evaluating the implemented change.

Six staff nurses will be selected for the Fellowship. They will be supported by a mentor, their unit/local leadership, individuals from the Research and Translation Committee (including a Health System Librarian), and other nursing and institutional groups as needed.   Time spent in classes and some work time (up to 8 hours per month) will be supported by the Department of Nursing. Additional time is expected and will be done on personal time.

Candidates are eligible to apply for this fellowship if they meet the following criteria:

• Nurse in the Framework or Role Specific Advancement Model (RSAM).
• Are in good standing (not in disciplinary action).
• Are in any setting including inpatient, ambulatory care, the OR/PACU areas, home care, and others (e.g. interventional radiology, medical procedures unit, etc).
• Have worked for UMHS as a nurse for at least one year and can commit to working in their current location (e.g. unit, clinic, etc) for at least another year.

The Fellowship is a year-long program and will start in October 2016.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the co-chairs of the Nursing Research and Translation Committee: Denise O’Brien at sheverl@med.umich.edu or 647-7373 or administrative assistant Karen Gonzalez at klsg@med.umich.edu or 615-0275.

The deadline for application submission is May 18, 2016 and can be found on the fellowship website: http://www.med.umich.edu/i/nursing-governance/research-translation/ebpFellowship.html. The Research and Translation Committee will be selecting the fellows in their June meeting.  The fellowship is being offered in consultation and backing from the Michigan Nurses Association.