Abstract

Nursing administration at a small medical center is developing and implementing an evidence-based practice (EBP) model of care to support a culture of quality care, clinical excellence, cost-effectiveness, critical thinking, empowerment of staff, and professional growth. The purpose of this article is to describe a conceptual model for EBP that addresses how to overcome barriers to implementation. Clinician expertise and values, experience, patient preference and expectation, and caring become grounded in a practice environment that must strive to become rooted in clinical research to evolve into a practice that is evidence-based. Education helps to nourish EBP, but leadership, enthusiasm, mentorship, clinical inquiry, and reflective practice make EBP thrive. The EBP ambassadors branch out to each department to grow journal clubs, EBP Web pages, EBP projects, research utilization projects, and staff-led practice reviews. The fruits are quality patient care and outcomes, clinical excellence, cost-effectiveness, critical thinking, empowerment of staff, and professional growth.