RNAO’s Best Practice Guidelines in the nursing curriculum – implementation update.

Abstract

Background In the last 30 years Nursing Education in Portugal went through several changes which directly impacted on the professional development model and on the recognition of nurse’s scope of practice. Since the Declaration of Bolonha, nursing students are provided with a more practical and profession oriented nursing training [1, 2]. As our professionals’ skills become more recognized in the global health market, also our need to improve education and professional development rises. The best way to enhance the quality of practice education provided to undergraduate nursing students and to improve clinical outcomes is by enriching the academic curriculum with evidence-based nursing practices (EBNP) [3]. The Best Practice Guidelines Program (BPGP) was developed by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) to support EBNP [4]. Objective Provide an update on the process of implementation of RNAO’s Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) in the nursing curriculum. Methods The implementation process was supported by the RNAO’s Toolkit for Implementing Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) [5]. It is a comprehensive resource manual, grounded in theory, research and experience, that provides practical processes, strategies and tools to both Providers, Educational Institutions, Governments, and others committed to implement and evaluate BPGs. Results The BPGs selection and implementation brought together some of the suggested activities from the six steps of the manual. It resulted in the selection of three clinical guidelines (Engaging Clients Who Use Substances [6]; Prevention of Falls and Fall Injuries in the Older Adult [7]; Primary Prevention of Childhood Obesity [8] and a Healthy Work Environments Guideline (Practice Education in Nursing, [9]). We considered two main areas to intervene, in order to address the challenge of generating scientific evidence for nursing practice: the academic and the clinical setting (partner institutions, where students undertake their clinical practice). The implementation process included three fundamental players from both settings: professors, nursing students and clinical nursing instructors. To evaluate our performance and measure the improvements, we created structure, process and outcome indicators for each guideline. Data collection tools were first used in the curricular units that precede clinical teaching, and results will be processed and analysed. Conclusions Professors, students and partner institutions were successfully engaged in the initiative. We are investing in an action plan to embed the evidence-based practice culture, through an orientation program for clinical nursing instructors. The strategy is to strengthen the relationship with providers in order to standardize evidence-based procedures and improve both nurses’ education and quality of care.