Nursing Research Council

In 2002, a Nursing Research Council was formed to educate nurses about the importance of using research in clinical practice. Co-chaired by a staff nurse and the director of nursing research & quality, the council is comprised of staff nurses, clinical nurse specialists and other nursing leaders.

Through education/mentoring and collaboration, the council’s overall vision is to create a culture of evidence-based practice within the nursing organization to ensure that the patients/families we serve achieve the best possible outcomes. The primary functions of the Council are outlined in the Charter.

In 2002-2003, the council replicated a landmark study by Dr. Linda Aiken and colleagues on nurse staffing levels and patient and nurse outcomes in our Surgical Care Services. The findings of this study were published in the September/October 2005 issue of Clinical Nurse Specialist Journal.

Beyond research conduction, the primary activity of the Council is research utilization. Through evidence synthesis, the Nursing Research Council has developed and disseminated evidence-based practice guidelines on a number of nursing interventions to promote best practice. Examples of guidelines developed include:

• Drawing labs from peripheral IV sites
• Normal saline instillation during suctioning
• Use of Trendelenburg during hypotnesion episodes
• BP Assessment in Selected Populations:  AV Fistula/Grafts and Mastectomy Patients  
• Selecting an Appropriately-Sized Cuff to Ensure Accurate BP Readings