Abstract
Achieving and maintaining meaningful change in patient safety outcomes remains an ongoing challenge.(1) Clinical Effectiveness Education (CEE) is a promising method to help address the challenge of creating sustainable change in healthcare. CEE is a comprehensive approach to improving patient safety by educating healthcare team members in methods to use best-evidence to inform care decisions.(2) Two foundational CEE strategies are Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and Quality Improvement (QI). EBP and QI practices have both been shown to have a positive impact on patient safety and return on investment.(1,3) Despite its documented benefits, CEE is not typically covered in-depth in health-professions education programs and an interprofessional approach is rarely used. (2,4) Interprofessional CEE represents a high potential approach to improving care, (5) underscoring the need for training programs within the healthcare system.
The purpose of this project was to develop IMPACT: the Interprofessional Model for Practice Advancement in Care Transformation, a 1-year mentored training program in EBP and QI methods for health professionals. Led by the health system’s nurse scientist, the interprofessional leadership team iteratively developed a curriculum featuring guest speakers to present on key topics including EBP and QI methods, interprofessional team science, implementation, and dissemination. As part of this program, participants complete and implement an EBP or QI project.To support this work, the team designed the IMPACT curriculum to combine monthly didactic sessions with 1:1 mentoring. Institutional support was obtained from nursing and research leadership, and a small internal grant was secured to provide funding for participant stipends and program expenses.
IMPACT launched in November 2025 and in the first application cycle for IMPACT, 39 applications were received, demonstrating a high level of interest. Applicants represented 7 inpatient and outpatient facilities within the health system and 14 professional groups including nurses, doctors, community health workers, physical, occupational, and respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and social workers.
Developing an interprofessional clinical effectiveness training program is feasible, and a high level of interest was demonstrated across professional groups. Programs like IMPACT can be a powerful tool to help create a culture of clinical inquiry and interprofessional collaboration within a health system.
Notes
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References:
1. Moon SEJ, Hogden A, Eljiz K. Sustaining improvement of hospital-wide initiative for patient safety and quality: a systematic scoping review. BMJ Open Qual. 2022;11(4):e002057. doi:10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002057
2. Lehane E, Agreli H, O’Connor S, et al. Building capacity: getting evidence-based practice into healthcare professional curricula. BMJ Evid Based Med. 2021;26(5):246. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111385
3. Connor L, Dean J, McNett M, et al. Evidence-based practice improves patient outcomes and healthcare system return on investment: findings from a scoping review. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2023;20(1):6-15. doi:10.1111/wvn.12621
4. Dolansky MA, Edmiston EA, Vehovec A, Harris A, Singh MK. An interprofessional postgraduate quality improvement curriculum: results and lessons learned over a 5-year implementation. Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):2408842. doi:10.1080/10872981.2024.2408842
5. Provine AD, Davidson HA, Waynick-Rogers P, et al. Quality improvement projects conducted by interprofessional teams of learners: Implementation and impact. J Interprof Care. 2023;37(2):316-319. doi:10.1080/13561820.2022.2060195
Sigma Membership
Theta at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Interprofessional Initiatives, Interprofessional Collaboration, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Teaching, Learning Strategies, Professional Development, Patient Safety, Clinical Competence
Recommended Citation
Melton, Katherine; Misto, Kara; Perry, Ashley; Parent, Michelle Marie; Keenan, Christian; Young, Olivia; and Mason, Katherine, "Making an IMPACT! Development of an Interprofessional Clinical Effectiveness Training Program" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 218.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/218
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-26
Making an IMPACT! Development of an Interprofessional Clinical Effectiveness Training Program
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Achieving and maintaining meaningful change in patient safety outcomes remains an ongoing challenge.(1) Clinical Effectiveness Education (CEE) is a promising method to help address the challenge of creating sustainable change in healthcare. CEE is a comprehensive approach to improving patient safety by educating healthcare team members in methods to use best-evidence to inform care decisions.(2) Two foundational CEE strategies are Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and Quality Improvement (QI). EBP and QI practices have both been shown to have a positive impact on patient safety and return on investment.(1,3) Despite its documented benefits, CEE is not typically covered in-depth in health-professions education programs and an interprofessional approach is rarely used. (2,4) Interprofessional CEE represents a high potential approach to improving care, (5) underscoring the need for training programs within the healthcare system.
The purpose of this project was to develop IMPACT: the Interprofessional Model for Practice Advancement in Care Transformation, a 1-year mentored training program in EBP and QI methods for health professionals. Led by the health system’s nurse scientist, the interprofessional leadership team iteratively developed a curriculum featuring guest speakers to present on key topics including EBP and QI methods, interprofessional team science, implementation, and dissemination. As part of this program, participants complete and implement an EBP or QI project.To support this work, the team designed the IMPACT curriculum to combine monthly didactic sessions with 1:1 mentoring. Institutional support was obtained from nursing and research leadership, and a small internal grant was secured to provide funding for participant stipends and program expenses.
IMPACT launched in November 2025 and in the first application cycle for IMPACT, 39 applications were received, demonstrating a high level of interest. Applicants represented 7 inpatient and outpatient facilities within the health system and 14 professional groups including nurses, doctors, community health workers, physical, occupational, and respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and social workers.
Developing an interprofessional clinical effectiveness training program is feasible, and a high level of interest was demonstrated across professional groups. Programs like IMPACT can be a powerful tool to help create a culture of clinical inquiry and interprofessional collaboration within a health system.
Description
This work describes the development of IMPACT, a 1-year mentored training program in EBP and QI methods for health professionals. An interprofessional team led by a health system nurse scientist developed and launched the program which was shown to be well received across a wide range of healthcare professionals.