Colleen M. O'Leary Discusses Evidence-Based Practice Projects

Colleen M. O'Leary, RN, MSN, AOCNS, clinical nurse specialist, head & neck cancers, coordinator, nursing evidence-based practice, The James Cancer Hospital, The Ohio State University, discusses evidence-based practice at her institution.

O’Leary says she is responsible for coordinating evidence-based practice projects, quality improvement projects, and research projects. She has created a process for evidence-based practice projects to define roles, ensure that the right people are involved, and that literature reviews are done correctly. A talk at the 2013 ONS Connections Conference clarified that there are necessary steps to make an evidence-based practice change.

At The James, all clinical nurse specialists are required to go through a week-long immersion program to become evidence-based practice mentors. When a new evidence-based practice project is created, a mentor is assigned, O’Leary says, though they need to remember that it is not their project. As a part of their residency program, nurses are required to do an evidence-based practice project.