TAMC Center for Nursing Science instills culture of inquiry

By Maj. Deanna Settlemeyer, Tripler Army Medical CenterFebruary 16, 2018

TAMC Center for Nursing Science instills culture of inquiry
Tripler Army Medical Center Assistant Clinical Nurse and Officer in Charge of the Orthopedics-Neuro-Vascular Ward, 1st Lt. Brianne Eichmiller, presents a behavioral change model for diabetes management project at the Tri-Service Nursing Research Diss... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HONOLULU (February 16, 2018) - Tripler Army Medical Center, TAMC, is striving for its Center for Nursing Science and Clinical Inquiry to expand a culture of inquiry to all nursing staff.

To achieve this mission, the team, comprised of nurse scientists and clinical nurse specialists, are eager to assist and mentor staff.

Here at TAMC, new graduates within the Clinical Nurse Transition Program are exposed to the Center for Nursing Science and Clinical Inquiry staff members early on. The staff educates new nurses within the program on evidence-based practices and assists the teams with developing and refining their evidence-based proposals.

To disseminate the results of these projects, the center's staff members mentor nurses and assist them with the submission of abstracts for local conferences and the Tri-Service Nursing Research Program Dissemination Course. These efforts have resulted in numerous projects selected for poster and podium presentations.

One such example is a project led by 1st Lt. Brianne Eichmiller using a behavioral change model for diabetes management. This project changed nursing practice within TAMC, as nursing staff no longer assess blood sugar and administer sliding scale insulin coverage more than 30 minutes prior to mealtime.

"The CNSCI (Center for Nursing Science and Clinical Inquiry) team has been an integral part of my success in the arena of evidence-based practice," said Eichmiller. "They mentored me in formulating a well-thought-out PICO question through the creation of my first evidenced-based project poster."

PICO is a mnemonic device in the nursing field, which stands for problem, intervention, comparison, and outcome.

"With their support and guidance, I have had the opportunity to expand the impact of my project within the hospital and present at three different conferences," Eichmiller continued.

Lt. Col. Gordon West led a Tri-Service Nursing Research-funded project investigating the amount of bacteria on military uniforms compared to hospital scrubs. Junior nurses will participate in West's next research study to assess the effectiveness of a new ultraviolet disinfection device for TAMC's hand-free communication devices.

The team is also currently mentoring two junior nurses developing evidence-based practice projects. The first project focuses on role identification during hospital codes, and the second is investigating best practices for narcotic disposal and witnessing waste.

TAMC's focus on education and research enables its staff to offer the most advanced care, services, and technology in health care delivery.

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