University of Virginia Health System

The PNSO Clinical Practice Committee encourages UVA nurses to suggest ways to improve patient care, whether through a nursing practice or procedural change, a change in forms & documentation, or a change in equipment.

In keeping with the PNSO's philosophy of evidence-based practice , nurses initiating ideas should be prepared to assist with researching the issue and identifying effective solutions, especially if the proposed change potentially affects multiple practice areas.

The first step is initiating an emailed proposal using the form below.

The second step, on your own or with guidance from the Clinical Practice Committee chairs, is to fill out the Evidence-Based Template describing the rationale for the change and other considerations involved in decisionmaking.

The third step is to present the completed Evidence-Based Template at a Clinical Practice Committee meeting, discussing with committee members your evidence-based findings and incorporating the perspectives of the various practice areas they represent.

If approved, the proposal may be delegated to an appropriate subcommittee for implementation planning, in collaboration with any interdisciplinary stakeholders who may be involved (e.g., equipment purchases; drug changes).

For issues which are very broad in scope, or require significant research and implementation planning, the committee may decide to commission a workgroup for this purpose in preparation for the annual Evidence-Based Practice Day conference . This in-depth investigation is documented and communicated at the conference using the E.B.P.D. issue template and any other handouts/presentations the workgroup considers appropriate.

The nurse initiating the idea is strongly encouraged to participate in, if not lead, the workgroup's effort to fulfill his/her envisioned change!