Subject Guides: Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Toolkit: 10. Identify and Measure Outcomes

Articles

Implementing an Evidence-Based Practice Change Gallagher-Ford, L., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., & Stillwell, S. B. (2011). Evidence-Based Practice: Step by Step: Implementing an Evidence-Based Practice Change. Am J Nurs, 111(3), 54-60.
Pilot Phase Begins Gallagher-Ford, L., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., & Stillwell, S. B. (2011). Rolling Out the Rapid Response Team. Am J Nurs, 111(5), 42-47.
Evaluating and Disseminating the Impact of an Evidence-Based Intervention: Show and Tell Fineout-Overholt, E., Gallagher-Ford, L., Mazurek Melnyk, B., & Stillwell, S. B. (2011). Evidence-Based Practice: Step by Step: Evaluating and Disseminating the Impact of an Evidence-Based Intervention: Show and Tell. Am J Nurs, 111(7), 56-59.
Following the Evidence: Planning for Sustainable Change
See Table 1: Potential Sources and Types of Internal Evidence

Measuring outcome variables before and after a practice change is essential to documenting the effect of the intervention.
Deciding what to measure is directly related to why the practice change is being initiated:
- Improving patient health outcomes
- Improving the patient experience
- Decreasing healthcare costs
- Increasing workforce satisfaction
All team members involved in the EBP project must understand the protocol, processes, and desired outcomes prior to pilot study

	Decide what the outcome variables are; plan how you will measure the effect of the practice change on these variables; determine what data sources you will pull the outcome data from
	Set dates to review data pre- and post- practice change.
	Decide who will review the data following implementation of the practice change
	Prepare to-do list of activities to complete before the pilot study begins.