Speak to the nurses in the unit collectively about improving nursing practices through a new education program. Ask thought-provoking questions of the nurses about what they would wish if they were the patient. For example, would they wish for the most effective and innovative practices if better than the current methods? Such questions can generate openness to participating in new education within the unit.
Start a reading club where the nursing staff is assigned a journal article for the week or month. The nurses can gather together to discuss the evidence addressed in each article. Ask leading questions start discussion at the beginning of each gathering. Encourage nurses to identify scenarios and circumstances where research discussed in the article could have been useful.
Assign each nurse a different month to identify an area that needs improvement in the nursing unit, perform research on the issue and create a presentation to the staff that includes instruction on how to implement the changes. The nurse must identify new evidence-based practices from journal readings found through the National Institute of Health Library.
Encourage nurses to write down questions that arise while implementing the new practices. Questions can be addressed either throughout the week by the exemplar nurse or at a special meeting between lessons.
Make time to monitor nurses to correct any misapplications of the new lessons. Redirect nurses when necessary.