Organizational Structure, Culture, and Evidence Based Practice
Emily Hobbs
Ohio University
Nursing is a profession that has always been ever changing and improving. There is always
research being done to figure out ways to improve our technology, methods, treatments, and more. This
evidence-based research is what drives medicine and nursing care into the future. It requires a good
nursing leader to implement these inevitable changes among the staff. “The values of evidence-based
practice must be evident through the behaviors of nursing leadership” (Huber, 20130). To me this means
that these changes cannot be successfully made without good sound nursing leadership to push them
forward. This means the nurse leader can be responsible for evaluating the need for change,
implementing the change, and assessing how well the team is carrying out the change. The nurse leader
needs to be firm, understanding, and open to suggestions from all those in the health care team in order
to successfully promote evidence-based practice.
The strategies used for implementing evidence-based practice can be found in figure 16-1 in
Huber’s Evidence Based Practice: Strategies for Nursing Leaders. First step involves creating awareness
and interest by highlighting the advantages of a possible change. Next step is building knowledge and
commitment by providing education to those involved. After that the nurse leader will promote action
and adoption by doing things like using skill competencies and giving incentives. Finally, the last step is
pursuing integration and sustained use, which can be done by celebrating unit progress and giving public
recognition. (Huber, 2013, pg. 279).
When it comes to influential forces behind a constantly changing healthcare culture, my first
Huber, D. (2013). Leadership & Nursing Care Management. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.