Nursing Research
Advocate staff nurses, as well as those in advanced practice, nursing education and research, enjoy multiple opportunities to explore nursing science and evidence-based practice (EBP).
The Julie Schaffner Research Fellowship Workshop is one avenue to be involved in research. Nurses may apply to participate in the Julie Schaffner Research Fellowship Workshop series. Fellows earn contact hours while learning the research process, and are mentored by experienced researchers and content experts to develop proposals and perform research. This fellowship program promotes research success.
In 2013, the council developed the 1st Annual Nursing Research Symposium: Collaborating to Advance the Profession. The success of the program has led to annual nursing research symposiums where nurses can hear national and local speakers on topics pertaining to EBP and research. Utilizing presentations and posters, each year the symposium showcases approximately 50 research, evidence-based practice and quality projects.
The Advocate Nursing Research Council has adapted the Iowa Model for Evidence-Based Practice, and has established a process and infrastructure for the implementation of EBP changes. Individual hospital sites promote the utilization of this model and provide support for practice changes. Even the Nurse Residency program for new graduates recognizes and utilizes the model to implement EBP. The importance of EBP is recognized among novice to expert nurses.
Nurses have been awarded the Laurel Barbour Nursing Research Scholarship Awards. Recipients of this award Alexis Barbour Florczak funded the Laurel Barbour Nursing Research Scholarship Award to recognize the contributions made to nursing and nursing research by her mother, Laurel Barbour. The award is intended to be given annually to a novice nurse researcher. The principal investigator of the project must be a nurse from any Advocate Health Care site who is pursuing Nursing Research at Advocate Health Care. Additional grants have been awarded to nurses that promote nursing research.