Authors (including presenting author) :
Lam LM (1), Wong WK (1)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Tseung Kwan O Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Evidence-Based Practice
Keyword 3: :
Patient Safety
Introduction :
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is vital for delivering high-quality nursing care, improving patient outcomes, and enhancing safety by reducing medical errors and costs. However, challenges such as inadequate knowledge, time constraints, and inconsistent integration within acute care settings hinder its promotion. Factors influencing EBP implementation include individual experiences, professional dynamics, and organizational context. Leadership plays a crucial role in supporting EBP through mentorship and access to resources. Several factors impede the sustainability of EBP, including clinical workload, inadequate education, and the absence of structured information sharing. A cultural shift is essential for consistently applying the latest research in clinical decision-making, and this program offers a framework for integrating EBP into daily workflows and professional identity.
Objectives :
- Facilitate and motivate the implementation of EBP and integrate evidence into clinical practice.
- Create and sustain a culture of EBP in an acute ward setting.
Methodology :
Journal club was established in 2013 in an acute orthopedic ward in an acute ward setting. Initially, journals and papers were shared by senior nursing staff when new techniques were adopted, knowledge deficit in staff or even after incidents occurred. It facilitates nurses to understand better and utilize the best available evidence in practice. Gradually, in order to improve nursing standards and enhance efficiency, a leadership-driven framework was adopted to promote EBP. It involves senior staff mentoring juniors. The topic would be chosen by junior staff as they are the most frontline staff. Before selecting the topic, the junior staff are taught to ask: “ should we change based on this? If yes, how?” to identify the clinical gap. Then, a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program would be implemented to initiate a small-scale, evidence-based cycle to establish the change. Furthermore, “Safety Catches” is developed for the EBP information sharing platform. It is a physical and digital bulletin which summarizes high-impact researches and enables staff to stay updated on the latest research relevant to their practice. It also includes details on the EBP team, training materials, and the CQI program.
Result & Outcome :
Throughout the years, 2-3 sessions of journal club were held each year. Two CQI programs were conducted in 2025. Staff feedback was collected and showed enhanced knowledge in the selected topic. These projects boosted staff satisfaction, sense of achievement and hence, staff retention. Success in EBP requires committed leadership and accessible resources. Transformation of the journal club and easy access to EBP information fosters the EBP culture in an acute ward setting and early recognition of the clinical gap, ultimately standardizing our daily practice and enhancing patient safety.
