Collaboration between nurses and librarians at Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) Nursing Research Council (NRC) promotes evidence-based nursing practice through education. The NRC supports evidence-based practice by offering education programs and regular nursing meetings. The KUH Medical Library plays a vital role in education by providing training on information retrieval and access to research. Cooperation between the NRC and library staff is important for promoting evidence-based practice through shared education and collaboration.

1. Collaboration between nurses and librarians
n
ence based practice
in promoting evide
– lib i ’ role in nur i research council
librarian’s l i rsing h il
Tuulevi Ovaska, MA, University of Eastern Finland Library, Kuopio University Hospital Medical Library, Kuopio, Finland
K
Tarja Kvist, PhD, RN, University of Eastern Finland, Department of Nursing Science, Kuopio, Finland
,
Tarja Tervo-Heikkinen, PhD, RN, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
o
aluing knowledg and expertise
Objective Results
Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) Nursing Research Council's (NRC) NRC supports EBN by offering forums for new ideas:
objectives and aims: 1. joint meetings of KUH staff with academic degree in nursing science
• increase evidence-based nursing practice in KUH • 1st in 2009
• make nursing science and other health science research visible in • second, where IR was one topics, in 2010
the hospital district 2. Regular nursing meetings
• make evidence-based nursing (EBN) a living and continuous practice • aiming to bring research closer to practice
in KUH • started in 2009
ge
• organize EBN education also regionally.1
education, regionally • by May 2011 there have been 16
The background of the concept is in the ideology of magnet hospitals • subjects ranging from the history of pandemics to bullying at work
implementing shared governance to empower the professional nursing place
staff.2-4 NRC is not a decision-making body but conversational and Promoting EBN by means of education is considered one of the most
brainstorming. important tasks of NRC1:
The KUH Medical Library provides tailored library services for KUH  1st extensive training program on EBN
staff, including training sessions on library resources and assistance in • using blended learning methods
information retrieval (IR). The library’s head of services is responsible • for KUH nursing personnel
and also carries out most of the training.5 • October 2009 and December 2010
• ending with a conference open to all, each student presenting their
EBLIP6, 27-30 June 2011 Salford, Great Manchester, England, UK. Va
Methods
h d work k
• lectures and training sessions on IR an essential part of the program
NRCs in hospitals aim to  Regional training program on evidence-based leadership for head
• foster advancement and utilization of nursing research nurses
• demystify research processes for nursing staff • began in autumn 2010
• create links between evidence-based practice (EBP) and research • includes education on IR
• facilitate cooperation and mentorship.2, 3, 6  Second extensive training program on EBN
NRC membership in KUH: • scheduled for 2011-12
• based on voluntary interest to promote nursing research and • regional
EBN in KUH Librarian’s role in the education is vital for the advancement of EBP
Librarian s
• started in 2008 with seven forerunners in nursing and in librarianship.
• now has 12 members from different nursing specialities and
organizational levels, including teaching staff and members from
the Department of Nursing Science in the University of Eastern Finland.1
Collaboration with university is crucial. 1, 2, 7 Conclusion
In magnet hospitals it is common that librarians are members of NRC,
or cooperate intensively. 6, 7 Also KUH Medical Library’s head of services
s Cooperation between developers of nursing
is since spring 2009 a member of the NRC, and now vice-chair. research and practice, such as NRC, and
Though librarians are not experts in nursing they promote the utilizationn
ter
of research by IR skills education and by providing access to
hospital library staff is important in promoting
information resources. EBN by education and meetings. NRC is
a common forum for getting to know each
other’s competencies and finding new ways
of collaboration, sharing best practices, and
developing better health care services.
As a new functional structure NRC serves well
1,
also the objectives of the library in pursuit of
EBP in librarianship and information practice.
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