Today's buzzword is evidence-based nursing. Nurses need to base their care on protocols and procedures that have been substantiated by scientific investigation and other evidence. Much of today's nursing care is based on tradition, not scientific evidence. Sometimes, the evidence does not exist. At other times, the knowledge exists, but has not been translated into a form that is useful to practitioners. Researchers conduct scientific investigations to contribute to the body of knowledge, and then disseminate their findings through publications. How does the information get to the nurses who give direct care to patients? What is the staff nurse's role in promoting evidence-based practice? I am a doctorally prepared nurse researcher and served as a research consultant at a metropolitan medical center for five years. I was hired to help staff nurses engage in research activities that promote evidence-based nursing in order to help the hospital achieve magnet designation. During the presentation, I will describe barriers to evidence-based practice and discuss practical strategies for helping staff nurses base their practice on the best evidence. The information would be especailly useful to nurses in facilities seeking Magnet status, or who work in hospitals where they are expected to participate in scholarly activities.

Section Description

We are pleased to present the abstracts from sgna's 36th annual course, SGNA: your gateway to opportunity. The diversity of these topics certainly reflects the richness and breadth of our specialty. in keeping with the tradition of the annual course, we hope the following abstracts will encourage discussions for improving nursing practice and patient care outcomes.