Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare students present final projects

On Dec. 6, junior nursing students in Ohio University’s Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (EBP) course presented their final projects for the fall semester. Students presented on a wide range of topics using evidence-based practice methods they’ve learned throughout the semester. 

Presentations ranged from non-pharmaceutical methods of treating patients to working with victims of domestic violence. For students, it was a chance to use the skills they’ve gained over the semester exploring a topic they have some experience with, and for educators, it was an opportunity to see their instruction pay off. 

Dr. Mel Brandau, an assistant professor in the College of Health Science and Professions’ School of Nursing, oversees the semesterly final presentations for EBP. She said the students begin the semester learning what EBP is and then slowly over the course of the semester begin carrying out the steps of the EBP process, themselves. 
 

Work on the projects begins on the fourth week of the semester with individual work on clinical questions, known as PICOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome and Time) questions. Over the semester, the students break into teams and Brandau said one of the member’s PICOT assignments typically acts as the basis for their later final projects. 

“A lot of times, students pick a topic they’ve already seen or discussed earlier in the semester. I think this really helps them tie those concepts together,” Brandau said.

For the students, the project is often a chance to explore or revisit issues they previously experienced. Julie Coen was a member of a team that researched domestic violence education in nursing.  Coen said that she was a state-tested nursing assistant before enrolling in nursing school, and during that time she worked with many survivors of domestic violence. 

“I thought it would be really interesting to learn more about interprofessional education related to my experiences working with victims of domestic violence,” Coen said. 
 

Coen’s group members added that, while they had not had prior experience with the topic, they saw it as a very interesting project and a valuable experience. 

Members of a team who researched the effects of first-day mobilization on the risk of deep vein thrombosis following a total hip replacement said that the experience was unique to their education within the nursing program. All members agreed that the freedom given to them when it came to selecting a topic made the opportunity more engaging and interesting.

Brandau said that she and her colleagues, including EBP section lead Dr. Sherleena Buchman, were incredibly pleased with the professionalism and effort put into the final presentations. For her, a high point of the day was a faculty member outside of EBP mistaking the students’ work for a professional conference taking place.