Faculty member leads evidence-based practice and implementation science efforts
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees has approved Molly McNett, PhD, RN, CNRN, FNCS, FAAN, to assume the Helene Fuld Health Trust Endowed Professorship for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare at the College of Nursing.
McNett currently serves as the college’s associate dean for evidence-based practice and implementation science and leader of the Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare.
“Dr. McNett has spearheaded the evolution of the Fuld National Institute for EBP and is helping us redefine our leadership in this critical area of healthcare,” said Karen Rose, PhD, RN, FGSA, FNAP, FAAN, dean and professor in the College of Nursing. “She and her team are doing an exceptional job as they launch new and revamped offerings for key stakeholders who are working to answer their calling to care at healthcare organizations large and small to benefit all people.”
Founded in 2016, the Fuld National Institute for EBP is a national hub for the formation, teaching and dissemination of best practices to improve healthcare quality, safety, costs, patient outcomes and clinician satisfaction. The Fuld Endowed Professorship was established in 2018 with gifts from the Helene Fuld Health Trust. Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, who has retired as College of Nursing dean and university chief wellness officer, was the original holder of the professorship.
“Our college has set a strong historical foundation of excellence, leadership and impact in the evidence-based practice movement,” McNett said. “I’m honored to assume this professorship and continue pursuing my passion for advocacy, accessibility and competence in EBP because of its effect on how people can live happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
McNett’s research centers on identifying and implementing best practices for acute care management of patients with complex critical care and neurological injuries. An established implementation scientist, McNett has more than 20 years of experience leading healthcare teams through the process of implementation and sustainability of practice changes in healthcare systems. She works with interdisciplinary research teams to investigate optimal methods for implementing best practices, with current funding from the Patient-centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Defense. McNett is also a GRADE-trained methodologist who has led and participated in evidence-based guideline development and implementation for more than a decade. She routinely leads interdisciplinary task forces nationally to integrate key components of research, implementation science, evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives into healthcare settings to improve outcomes for patients.
McNett and the evolution of the Fuld National Institute for EBP were featured in the Spring 2025 edition of Transformations in Nursing and Health, the College of Nursing’s magazine. Find the article here.
