I found the survey results regarding chief nursing executives and their use of evidence-based practice (EBP) in "Evidence-Based Care Is Highly Valued but Underused by Many Nurse Executives" (In the News, June) to be concerning. Health care is so geared toward utilizing EBP to produce the best patient outcomes that I can't imagine why an organization would choose not to embrace it. If patient safety and quality are truly top concerns for these respondents, there is no excuse not to pursue various means to implement EBP. It's difficult to have staff buy-in when organization leaders do not support the cause. Nurse executives should take the initiative to investigate what EBP measures could benefit their organization or at least look for outside resources that can help with the process. As a nursing supervisor, I understand how difficult it can be to try to bring change to an organization or demonstrate the need for change to those who do not have nursing backgrounds. Nurse leaders may have to get creative to validate the need for change to others. With so many opportunities for advancement, I would hope that all nurse leaders would show by their actions, and not just on paper, that quality care is always a top priority.

Brittany Joyner-Byrd, BSN, RN

Austin, TX