Fuld Focus

by Phil Saken

New year. New leader. New website. New programming.

The Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice (EBP) in Nursing and Healthcare is renewing its focus as it seeks to grow its leadership in the EBP movement.

“There are so many opportunities to make positive changes,” said Molly McNett, PhD, RN, CNRN, FNCS, FAAN, who was appointed as associate dean for evidence-based practice and implementation science at The Ohio State University College of Nursing in the fall. “I am honored to serve in this role to build upon the incredible impact the Fuld National Institute for EBP has already had in improving processes for our healthcare partners and outcomes for patients.”

McNett, who formerly served as assistant director of the Fuld National Institute for EBP’s Implementation Science Core, said she’s eager to build on the strong foundation of excellence and impact that the organization set in the EBP movement over the past decade and a half.

“We recognize the landscape of healthcare is constantly changing, and we want to be sure we are evolving to meet the needs of these partners,” explained McNett. “Overwhelmingly, we have been hearing from our partners that there is an increasing need for information and tools on how to effectively implement evidence-based practice changes and how to best sustain these efforts over time. 

“Ultimately, our goals remain the same: improve care, outcomes and experiences for patients while reducing the costs of healthcare delivery and supporting the clinician experience. We really are striving to use a science-informed approach to meet these goals and to leverage new innovations that streamline the work required to bridge the research-to-practice gap.”

To accomplish those goals, McNett pointed to several program offerings that honor the past while evolving for the future.

On-demand, asynchronous modular programs have been updated to include introductory information on the basic principles of EBP, science-informed methods to implement and sustain practice changes and implementation science methodologies. The institute’s free monthly webinar program, “Fuld Focus,” has relaunched and includes content both on EBP and implementation science. McNett and her team have also initiated a new, rotating Master Class series that will feature both live/in-person and synchronous online programs that focus on the fundamentals of EBP, implementation and sustainability, implementation science, de-implementation and an evidence-based leadership academy.

While McNett is excited about the new direction of the Fuld National Institute for EBP, the proof will be in the interactions and impact that the institute generates.

“Ultimately, success will include a high level of engagement among interdisciplinary teams across our national networks, positive feedback on our new programming and the ability to really support these healthcare teams to implement best practices and sustain them over time,” McNett said. “We want to provide them with the science-based tools and information to make this the norm within their settings.”

The Fuld National Institute for EBP recently revamped its website to better serve its partners. Information on the institute’s programming and offerings can be found at fuld.nursing.osu.edu.

About Molly McNett

Molly McNett’s research centers on identifying and implementing best practices for acute care management of patients with complex critical care and neurological injuries. McNett is an established implementation scientist, with 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.