Evidence-Based Project Proposal

Project Overview:

Title: Evidence Based Project-Proposal Description: As the course progresses over the 11 weeks, learners will develop a scholarly project that demonstrates an application of evidence to practice for substantive change.

This project emphasizes critical appraisal and application of evidence-based research, scholarly writing, and critical thinking. The scholarly project will be submitted as a written paper in APA format/style. In addition, learners will present a summary of the final project orally or by creating a PowerPoint presentation.

Learners will select one of the following types of projects related to their specific advanced role specialization and target population:

•Educational program

•Evidence-based healthcare policy change

•Evidence-based clinical issue or protocol

Overview of the Evidence Based Project (EBP):

In Week 1 of the course, students will identify an area of inquiry as a basis for practice change, and in Week 2, write their clinical question in PICOT format that will drive the literature search.

Following approval of the practice change idea and the PICOT question by course faculty, in Week 3 students will begin their literature search and rapid critical appraisal (RCA) using the RCA checklists available in Appendix D of the course text (Melynk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011) and in Word format. The Search Tracker may be useful in organizing and tracking your search.

Your evidence review will be completed in Week 4, resulting in a finished Evaluation Table containing only the "keeper" studies.

In Week 5 you will synthesize the evidence to determine best evidence for your project. Faculty will continue to serve in the role of mentor as the student progresses through the remaining steps of the project.

Weekly submissions will be used to monitor progress in the development of your proposal. It is recommended that upon receiving feedback from faculty on each section, you revise your work and add that section to build your final paper. Doing so as you proceed through the course will avoid last-minute work.

When you began your study of evidence-based practice it was contrasted with the research process. The underlying goal of EBP is to appraise research and study its application to specific patient populations in order to identify best practices. In order to accomplish this, what must be included within your project is a research study.

You will most likely compare pre-intervention data with post-intervention results. In come cases, statistical analysis will be necessary. Your proposal will include plans for this study.

EBP Project Criteria

Students will prepare a formal project proposal using APA format. Below is an outline for the final paper with the weeks where this content will be covered. Each week you will turn in parts of this outline as Dropbox assignments. The week each part will be due is indicated in the outline.

After receiving feedback from faculty on each part submitted, it is recommended that you begin building your paper, adding the pieces where they belong. Since you will not be implementing this project, the results section has been omitted. This outline is consistent with the format used for journal articles when reporting results of evidence-based practice projects.

Criteria and organization of final paper

Abstract

Part 1

•Introduction - Week 2

?Practice issue

?Summarize the practice issue in need of change providing background information about the organization (setting) and the perceived significance and severity of the problem

?Describe the specific aims of the project - what improved outcomes do you hope to achieve

•PICOT question - State your question in PICOT format, labeling each part with P-I-C-O-T in parentheses

•Significance - what is the significance of the issue in terms of poor outcomes, cost, etc.

Part 2 - Week 3. 4, & 5

•Evidence review and synthesis

?List the names of the databases you searched and if limited to a span of time, i.e., less than 5 years old

?Summarize "keeper" studies

?Summarize the synthesis of the body of evidence

Part 3 - Week 6

•Purpose of the project - include intervention

•Theoretical framework

•Clinical questions

Part 4 - Week 7

•Studydesign

•Setting/sample

•Confidentiality

•Procedure/intervention

•Instruments/scales and measurement of outcomes

•Data collection

Part 5 - Weeks 8 & 9

•Data analysis

•Outcomes expected

•Aligning stakeholders

Appendices

•Evaluation Table - turned in Weeks 3 & 4

•Synthesis Table - turned in Week 5

The paper provides evidence of synthesis of coursework, professional writing, and graduate level scholarship.

Oral or Poster Presentation

In addition to the written paper, students will present a summary of their project by submitting a professional Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.

Criteria:

•Organize the presentation to include all required criteria of the EBP project proposal.

•Quality of presentation is professional and provides evidence of graduate level scholarship.

This week's Dropbox Assignment

Keep in mind that this proposal will be developed piece by piece during the course. The Dropbox assignment this week provides you an opportunity to identify the problem or issue within your specialization that is in need of improvement and receive feedback from faculty.

Review the grading criteria listed below as you begin this assignment. Note that you must pass all elements in order to move forward with your proposal development. Faculty will provide feedback either approving or asking that you resubmit prior to further development of your project.

For this week's assignment discuss the following:

•State your idea for your evidence-based project proposal including the rationale as to how it reflects an EBP project vs. a research project

•Very briefly describe the issue you will address, the intervention that you feel has research evidence (this may change later after you complete the literature search), and the expected outcomes

•Discuss how this project is relevant to your role specialization